For centuries the death penalty, often accompanied by barbarous refinements, has been trying to hold crime in check yet crime persists. Why? Because the instincts that are warring in man are not, as the law claims, constant forces in a state of equilibrium.

Summary

This quote suggests that despite the use of the death penalty throughout history, crime still exists. The author argues that crime persists because human instincts and motives conflict rather than remaining in a balanced state as the law assumes. In other words, the complexity of human nature and the factors that drive individuals to commit crimes cannot be effectively controlled or deterred solely through punitive measures, such as capital punishment. The quote highlights the limitation of the death penalty in addressing the root causes of crime and implies that alternative approaches may be necessary to achieve true crime prevention.

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