On July 8, 1908, a famous writer who had just become a member
of the French Academy delivered the following speech in the
Chamber of Deputes:

MAURICE BARRÈS. I am in favour of maintaining the death penalty,
of maintaining anf applying it. I shall not bring up the host of
arguments raised by this great question. M. Falliot has already
discussed some of them. I would like to limit myself to one par-
ticular point and to contradict, to refute, if I can, the openion of
those who think that the elimination of the death penalty would
make for the moral progress of French society.

This sentiment permeated the speech of M. Joseph Reinach
which we have just heard, and it is a very powerful tradition in the
political life and political literature of this country. Many persons,
very generous persons, to be sure, think that the abolition of the
death penalty is a step forward on the way to progress.

Well, I am not going to argue abstractly. I am going to examine
the situation in the city of Paris.

If we do away with the death penalty, if we undertake this
experimentin disarmament, at whose risk will it be? one cannot
deny the fact that it is the poor whom we shall be exposing, it is
they who will be the first to suffer. Regardless of what is done, the
police will unquestionably always protect the rich better than they
will the poor. (Exclamations at the left and far left.)

I think that my colleagues quite understand the observation
which i am making here. if we stroll through the center of Paris,

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