Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1878-03-06

The people, after an e1psstenos oftwefve
yesss, have learned 20 much Of The peeui-
lar wsys Of public o0eials that they are
as.ouished ~ - political event The crime
with which Anderson 70 charged in the
syss Of some politicians 10 thought eo
he . psii4scal o6enes, and 70 believed TO W
one smong those anomalous crimes eI-
eepssd ftom punishmsot by . resolution Of
the Legislature Thersfoss II " urged that
In persusnce Of the tenor Of said resolution
and Of . certain agrc, ment made In .
moot mystsrious mariner by somebody, to
the world unknown, that Anderson should
Be pssdoned aud the prosecution against
Wells, Kenner, and Caaanave he discon-
tiuued Now what Gov. Nichols will do
wa can't say. The people Of Louisiana
made him their Governor because they be-
lieved hin TO be . true, pure, and good
man, with profound respect for the laws,
and likely to enforce them In Arm and
Just manner. Relieving this Of him, and
| having found him % thus far in his admin
stration We will come near being sur.
prised II he should pardon Anderson.
II may be possible that there 10 In eris-
tepcO some :character Of agreement or
some understanding which might serve rs
the Governors excuse for what all must
consider misplaced clemency. II these
things arc expected Of Gov. Nichols and
be proposes to pardon the prisoner lately
convicted, we consider II extremely I'M
fortunate for his future usefulness in =
public capacity that the people are in
total ignorance Of such good and sufficient
reasons A. he may have for the executive
clcmcncy.
But We are at 9 less 10 understand how
any honorable man, with all the facts be-
fore him, could and II consistent with his
own integrity to extend any degree Of elem
ency to the criminal who is 80 guilty az 10
Anderson. No agreement eau effect the
discharge Of any prisoner absolutely guilty
of . felony. The executive pardon would
make Of oil proceedings in the trial stu
pendous farce-would show . contempt
nous disregard Of the law, and would set
free, without adequate cause, . vile crimi-
nal who has besn for years at the head Of
tho very worst band Of sconndrels who
have cured tho State. The crime Ia an
outrage Of itself, but beyond that, public
policy demands that al example be made
Of the class Of offenders who have most in.
jurcd the commonwealth; not only because
Of the separate special crimes they have
committed, but because public opinion has
been to q certain extent degraded, the pub
lie sense Of honor blunted. and sclfsacri-
hciug patriotism almost obiiterated from
the State, simply because this man and
Others like him have been let 60 free so
long that people had begun TO look npon
their questionable method Of managing
elections aud suppressipg the voice of the
people as warranted by the supreme power
in the Union. While they knew them
to be base and guilty, they had seen 50
much Of such work that they no longer
looked upon 1t with that horror which in
better days animated the honest masses in
view Of such outrages. The very fact that
men OF responsibility are heard to plead
for Anderson shows to what pit Of degra-
dation we have fallen. II this man was
ignorant there might he urged some excuse
for him. But he was n senator. a law
maker, a man Of wealth and education.
There il no excuse. II his moral sense is
dcadencd. let it be quckcned into life by
the punishment the law demands Let the
people learn that there is yet some honor,
SOME purity in our government. Let Gov.
Nichols not make himself a partner with
Anderson and his crowd by any foolish
clrmenry.