The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-03-11
JUDGE EBSLLlNGER ON PARDONS
AND RENOMINATION.

Judge Ballinger was asked what he
thought of the communications of muir
derers by Governor Roberts. He re-
piled:
L say that the greatest tempests have
been raised in the very smallest tea
pots. The constitution of Texas since
Texas was republic, and the consti-
tuition of the United States and al
most every state in the union, and the
government of perhaps every civilized
state on the globe, vests the chief ex-
ecutive with the power of pardon or
Communication. That the power of the
press should combine, or that public
sentiment in any other form should
combine, to bulldozs the executive
against the conscientious exercise of
this power, is most repugnant 10 our
institutions and to christian c;vilizl-
ton. Vi course, governor may be
corrupt or weak in granting pardons
or combinations, as in any other
branch of his executive duties. But to
raise howl, because the death SEN
tence has been passed by the district
court and the court of appeals, against
the right or the duty of the governor
TO commute to Imprisonment for life,
does a great wrong to one of the wisest
and most benign features in our gov
ernment and in all governments. In
finite circumstances occur bearing on
guilt, bearing en- righteous exercise
of mercy that find no place in the tech
meal record of a mans legal trial for
life. II had the slightest idea that
Governor Roberts was weak senti-
mentalIst, or man who yielded to i'm
proper Influences to grant pardons or
commutatlons, would consider him
unworthy his high office. But of all
the men I know he is the last one to
whom to attribute any such weakness
or yieldingaess His habits of thought
are Judicial. He is firm as a rock. l
don't believe there is the man in the
state of Texas that would venture to
ask o. NJ Roberts to grant a pardon
or communication for personal favor to
himself. If he did, he would never
do it second time. He is incapable
of it for favors to any one man or to
any ten thousand men. He will give
fair hearing. He will examine la
boriously and cautiously Into the facts.
He will come to his own conclusions,
as he believes the chief magistrate of
the state ought to conclude; and, high
or low, rich or poor, white or black,
he will do what he thinks right, and
every press in the state can't swerve
him an inch. He is fallible man,
and may commit an error, but if he
makes q commutation, and there could
be any mode of testing it, l sm not a
betting man, but l would bet he is
right every time.
Touching the nomination of Cover
nor Roberts, Judge B. says: 81 am
wholly out of the way of knowing
about this, Judge r. is unskilled in all
political tactics and all art of manage
ment. Practical politicians understand
how to operate on the men of infiu-
ence, to carry their measures and
election. BY a dozen skillful inter-
views they marshal strength, remove
opposition, etc. Judge Roberts is q
novice in all this, and is too old to
commence it. II he thinks measure
is right, he knows only one way of
trying to have it adopted, and that is
by explaining it fully to the Legisla-
ture, letting them understand it, and
relying on their intelligence. In this
way he does very little to conciliate
even bis best friends, or to form .
party. He is incapable OF electioneer-
ing. 1 would make my venture that
there Is not a man in the State Of
Texas TO-DAY TO whom the Old Alcalde
has written an e,ec,ioneeriug letter,
and there woa'r be. Nine men out OF
ten, in his place, desiring reelection,
would be writing such letters every
day to office-hoiderF, leading politi-
clans, etc, in the different counties
There is nobody, therefore, who has
ANYTHING to calculate upon, personal-
lY, from Governor Roberts. He knows
and cares IS little about using "the
machine y of the executive Office for
electioneering as about running q
steam engine. He does what be thinks
Is right, and trusts alone to its infiu-
ence. II the people would speak out,
l do not mistrust that they would say,
with q great voice, "vell done, good
and faithful servant;" but what county
conventions, or state convention,
will say, qlties ss5e
For time there seemed to be q great
clamor against him. never doubted
that when reflection came il would pass
awsy IKE mist before the sun. Ev-
erywhere throughout the state, il / can
read the signs Of the times, the people
are realizing the good effects Of his
administration of the state govern