The Home Secretary has done well to prOtest against the
growing habit of public appeals for the remission of the death sentence. These are not based on reasonable objections to capital punishment, still less upon the merits of each case ; but more and more upon a sensa- tional or emotional basis to which unfortunately the cheap Press has sometimes lent its aid. Sir William Joynson-Hicks pointed out that, besides the murderer's trial. by his peers, there is one safeguard after another, such as laymen hardly realize, to protect the prisoner, and he asks how we can suppose that experienced, con- scientious men upon whom the awful responsibility finally rests could let themselves be swayed either way by monster petitions and such like appeals. It is not really heartless to say that " mob mercy " is as contrary to law, order and even justice, as is Lynch law.'
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