Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/410



''"The wages  of  sin  is  death;  every  tree  that  bringeth  not forth  good  fruit  shall  be  cut  down  and  shall  be  cast  into  the fire." — Rom. vi. 23; Matt. vii. 19.

Ex.: I.  Bill  in  legislature :   II. Story of  movement. III. Their arguments.

I. False  kindness :  1. Humanitarianism. 2. Three  classes of poor. 3. Scripture  proofs.

II. Reasons : 1. Authority, self-preservation. 2. Imitation, deterrent. 3. Just  revenge  natural.

III. Expedient: 1. Cruelty necessary. 2. Crime  ever  with us. 3. Italy.

Per. : Money  might  be  spent  on  poor,  ignorant,  ungodly.

, there  is  at  present  before  the  Massachusetts Legislature  a  bill  for  the  abolition  of  capital punishment. The bill  counts  among  its  supporters many distinguished  gentlemen,  lay  and  clerical,  and many noted  women,  formally  organized  into  a  society called  the  Anti-Capital  Punishment  League. A half-century of  repeated  defeats  have  attended  their cause, but  with  admirable  courage  and  perseverance they still  prosecute  the  struggle,  in  the  hope,  no doubt,  that  a  victory  in  the  old  Bay  State  will  go  far towards propagating  their  doctrines  throughout  the nation and  the  world. The grounds  of  their  opposition to  the  death  penalty  are  many  and  various,  some adducing scriptural  arguments,  and  others  alleging reasons of  right  or  expediency. For us  Catholics  the