Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-04-29
The Law Vindicated.

w Itilam II. hemDle, Emile J. 1etfof,
Charles b. Salter, VIM. F. Rumbarger
and Jesse X. Crawford, each to one
year in the penitentiary, and to pay a
fine of one thousand dollars. The
Judge in imposing the sentence de-
livered lecture of some length to the
prisoners, setting forth the hagrancy
of the crime of corrupting members of
the Legislature, referring TO the fact
that the prevalence of this crime had
assumed such gigantic proportions in
Pennsylvania that the Constitutional
Convention had made stringent rene
dial provisions for its suppression,
which were incorporated into tho laws
by the Legislature. None of the pris-
oners could plead ignorance of the
statutes, and certainly could not claim
exemption from the penalty of viola
tion. While the public may sympa-
thise with these men, and regret the
unfortunate position in which they are
placed, yet it must be source of gen.
eral graduation that the law has
been vindicated and cautionary no.
tice given to all that a halt must be
made in the general and degrading
corruptions which have so marked and
stained the Legislation of Pennsylva-
mia. 1t has been a crying evil for
many years, as we'll as a source of un-
bounded fraud upon the peoples re-
sources, that called for prompt and
condign punishment on the perpetra.
tors, regardless of their station in life
whether by the millionaire welding
the influence of great bank, or the
more humble individual directing the
labor around the State capital. The
sentence, although not marked by any
severity, which the crime did not just
ify, is said to have astounded the
prisoners, who did not expect to be in
carcerated in the penitentiary, but to
a temporary detention in Jail. The
vindication of the law and the admo-
milton its assertion furnishes the venal
in and out of our legislative halls, is
all the people demanded in the pun
ishment of these men. That has been
accomplished. They are no more
guilty than hundreds of others who
are still at large, and this being the
first conviction in the interest of hon
esty in our legislative halls, the people
will not be disposed to antagonize
executive clemency discreetly exer-
cised. On this subject the Philadel-
phia Times remarks "The battle
against the power of the law is now
ended and those who made it have
had meted out to them retributive
blow that must subdue vindictiveness
in every quarter. If the defendants
had made the battle by themselves
and for themselves, the penalty they
have provoked would be regarded by
all as more than enough to meet the
fullest end of justice, but the known
circumstances which dictated their
plea of guilty and the known fact
that the vengeance of the law for the
offenses Of many has been concentrated
upon them, will plead strongly for
their release from penal servitude.
They have been compelled to bow to
the law and voluntarily return to ac-
cept its judgment; they have been
doubly fined by forfeited recognizances
and by sentence they are now in
prison they have been bereft of the
right to enjoy honor or trust under their
own government, and there the Offices
of the avenging law may safely stop
The same enlightened public opinion
that so sensitively resented the attempt
70 disregard the law by : previous
pardon. would now give considerate
approval to the interposition of execu
tive clemency. Never was law more
completely vindicated in the sreat