CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24070, 15 September 1941, Page 4

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

—After having listened most carefully to the whole of the debate on the Crimes Bill, I have come to the conclusion that our Parliamentary system as it stands to-day is not only radically wrong, but is farcical. If a Minister has a "pot baby" to push through the Parliamentary wash tub, it must go through, whether the general public like the child or not. Every argument put in by the Opposition against the abolition of the death penalty, backed up as it was by reports garnered from the very best legal brains available, was airily swept aside by political laymen who had no other aim in view than to help that Minister scrub his grubby kid, deck it out 111 its little red suit, and so announce that Labour had again given birth to something that would enable New Zealand to still lead the world. The suggestion made by Mr. Kndean that before proceeding with the bill it be thrashed out by four such competent legal men as he named would have in any other country met with the general approval of everyone—but not so here. Wo must create a precedent and lead. Our member, Mr. Boswell, used the Lock and Leopold case, and shouted: "Would you hang such childish lunatics?" To which I would like to reply: "No, I would personally draw and quarter them and be proud to do so in the interests of tho community." What does ho know of that case? Absolutely nothing. I was in Chicago during the whole of that trial. Does Mr. Boswell know what those so-called childish lunatics did to that boy Franks before they callously murdered him? Does he know that the parents of Lock and Leopold were both millionaires and the case broke them in their endeavour to save those scoundrels? Does he know that it was only the outstanding brilliance of the defending attorney, Darrow, that saved thorn from the chair and the strength of tho penitentiary walls that saved them from lynching, so high was public opinion? 1 would not like to hear the remarks passed about our svstem of justice and what money could do, etc., etc., as I heard passed by the public of Chicago after that triai \Vallif. Hales, Kaitaia.