River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-12-15
CRIMES CRIMINALS AND pARDoSs.

! tSHGioH ID Sctu III lDe expression OIL an
occasional correspondent who takes
the matter up,one of whom says, 1.-THE
public are beginning to think that
laws and all legal practice are directly
in the interest of the criminal class
es.' While this expression may at
| first seem somewhat extravagant, it
will not appear so much so when one
reflects that most lynching bees are
prompted by the conviction of an ex-
asperated community that the law is
| not equal to certain emergencies. The
correspondent quoted further says:
"lndividual rights are indeed pre-
cious, but in peace as in war there are
times when the individual life even,
count as nothing in comparison with
the right of the State TO protect itself.
The abuse of the pardoning
power is an evil which most emphat-
ically needs correction. The abuse
of the pardoning power is one of the
greatest stumbling blocks in the way
of preventing crimes. Pardons are so
frequently granted and apparently so
easily obtained that criminal, though
first calculating his chances for eseap-
ing conviction, which under our laws
are greatly in his favor, falls back
upon the possibility of securing par
don. In more than one instance in
this State within the past few years,
after conviction, sentence has been
suspended that tile criminal might APP
ply for pardon. which has been prompt
ly granted. During the year 1880 the
Governor of Wisconsin pardoned
twenty EIGHT criminals--an average of
over two month for reasons other
than to restore to the rights of citi-
zenship,' and a simple statement of
his reasons for pardoning some of them
without giving extenuating circum-
stances, would prove a novelty to
those matter-of.fact people who enter
tain the opinion that criminals fairly
convicted of crime should suffer the
lawful penalty of their misdeeds with
out the interference of the pardoning
power. For instance, one man who
was sent up for burglary was pardon
ed that he might attend the funeral of
his brother; another, convicted of the
crime of assault with intent to do great
bodily harm, was pardoned because he
could not have understood the nature
of his offense; four others, convicted
of the crimes of arson, forgery, burg
larry and embezzlement respectively,
were pardoned because they were
sick; another, convicted of endeavor-
ing to aid prisoners to escape, was
pardoned because of his youth and
good reputation; another, convicted of
the crime of larceny, was pardoned
because he had previously borne a
| good reputation and had a chance to
secure steady employment; another,
convicted of larceny, was pardoned
because his reputation was good-it
would appear that good reputation
is a handy thing to have when seek
ing pardon for State prison offenses;
| two men convicted of purjury were
pardoned pending suspension of sen
| tence, because the crime was investi-
| gated by friend; another, convicted
of the crime of assault and battery,
was pardoped because he was unable
to pay his fine. We might note others
but these are auf1icient to illustrate,
as we believe, a too free use of the
| pardoning power. In the above ill.,
stances it is not pretended that the
criminals were not accorded an i'm
partial trial, that they were wrongful
| ly convicted nor that the crimes with
which the prisoners were charged
were not actually committed by per-
sons entirely responsible for their acts.
| Pardons in too many instances are
granted because of individual =
erations and the prov ooiioi0-
haart w;t,, ~ptings of kind
.nout due regard for public
policy and the just claims of society
and the people for protection against
the criminal classes. CharitaSly dis
posed people whose sympathies go out
to persons guilty of any crime in the
gamut from petty larceny to murder
should bear in mind that our statutes
give criminals the benefit of every
reasonable doubt,and that law-ablding
citizens have rights as sacred to them
selves as is that of personal liberty to
those who pay no heed to law, order,
and the good of society.