The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-05-06

lac Dfl9tr.i.
Those precious sesandrels the rio;
brbcrs, known scvesaily hy the names.
Churies B. Salter, William u. Kem. |
ble, Jesse II. Craw ord, William e. /
Rumherger and Efnile ] PetroT
were brought before Judge pearsoa u,
Harrisburg on Aprii 26th, atd each
sentenced TO terni O. one year in thei
Easiern Heuitrntilry o1e tnoa.a,t
doi!ars fine ,nA iha GO t. O.. pfa .eca
ton. The address .. "a isl p,ar,on
to the prisoners being one of the clear
est and most impartial addresses to
men in similar positions we have ever
read, totally disregarding the positions
and influence of these state prisoners
he read them lecture that deserves
to be printed in every newspaper in
the land as warning to those i'm
high places that the majesty of the
law must and shall be vindicted, and
that, quoting the Judges words, 1.-The
beggar in rags and the millionaire in
broadc!oth stand on precisely the
same footing; the one is to be impris-
oned for stealing loaf of bread, the
other is not to escape, who, BY his
criminal acts, may involve the state in
the loss of millions" The bcggar
and millionaire to be tried and SEN
fenced inpariaily and without pre-
judice as to the ones rags or the Others
| fine linen, was All idea that struck
| the hearts of the common people as
being n innovation ON the usual man
ner of dip'nsing justice that, like the
| little leaven that leavencd the whole
| loaf, might in time enter our temples
of justice until in time equal and
exact justice should be the rule and
not the exception. Throughout the
! length and breadth Of our fair State
the people rejoiced at the righteous
hess OF the sentence and the beautiful
effect its faithful carrying out would
have on the riscals who in fest the
seats and lobbies of our state legisla'
ture. Scrvile newspapers, However
at once began to wall and lament that
! the sentence was too severe and the
punishment excessive, for the simple
reason we suppose that the men en-
gagged in the pleasant and lucrative
occupation of bribing Legislators had
so long escaped punishment that Gus
tom III Il manner sanctioned the
enormous crime. In justice, however,
to the common people we will stale
that they still abided by the first i'm
pulse that if there was an excess in
any direction it was in the amount OF
crime over the punishment, AMI that
had Judge Pearson being Il tribe mere
severe the bribers would no more than
have had their just deserts. Skill the
hired newspapers h0wled and the lead.
ing politicians howled and the per-
sOnal friends of the beautiful five
howlel, uIti! ut last the board of par
dons caught the injection, and We
will not NOW pretend to say what else
they caught for .ear We might do any
honorable gentleman injustice.
1t WAS on the 3JJh day of April, y.
u. 1854, that u special meeting OF thC
Board o: pdrjOn' was called and tu
which the eyes Of the people looHcG
with The expectations that the bul
warH which once be!Orc had stood
the tempest in defence o. the rights ot
the people would again prove equal tt
the emergency. Also, how vain and
transient the delu3on. After II short
,, private session the Board recommend
ed that the Imprisonment of one ycal
he remitted. The fine of S!.UOJ and
costs WAS then paid ana the prisoner,
released from Jail. Comment is un
necessary although that beautiful Wis
ion of "a hcggar in rags and million
aire in hroadcioth" getting even jus
ticC has vanished but it will DC Il long
time before the people forget
that by some means or other impris
oninent OF millionaires is played ou
and that this action of the Board o
Pardons still further offers apremiun
to the wealthy tranSgressar.