The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1883-01-20

considerations and decisions more in accord
ance with the dictates Of justice and hu.
manity. ! do not believe, however, that
the Pardon Board was intended to be a court
oil last resort for reviewing the legality Of
the judgments Of the courts below and their
decisions upon points Of law and the weight
Of evidence. Our system Of judicature, with
its Justices, jurors, Judges and Supreme
Court, provides the proper tribunals for the
trial oi causes, and has the confidence Of the
community. Their judgments should not
be lightly treated or disturbed without over
whelming reason. The Pardon Board is not
a court Tor the trial Of questions Of law or Of
fact. It has become a lruism, that it is not
the severity, 50 much as the certainty, Of
punishment which prevents wrong doing
This certainly cannot be secured II it is un.
derstood by criminals that after their cases
have been fairly heard and passed upon by
every court known to the law they must
still experiment with the sympathy and
various judgments OF a mixed board Of law
yers and laymen. / shall make it a rule to
grant no pardon except for cause appear
ing since the trial and in cases Of manifest
injustice.
The government Of large cities is a sub
ject OF growing importance and is attracting
much attention from minds directed to
questions Of municipal reform. 1t has been
in the great centres of population that the
most fagrant abuses in government have
been manifested and the greatest wrongs
been inflicted upon the people. Extraya-
gance, fraud and peculation, the corruption
of the ballot and the subversien Of the pop
ular will as expressed at elections have
grown to such proportions in our large cities
that the stoutest friends Of free government
have become alarmed for its permanence.
In my judgment the best corrective for many
of these evils is enlarged and freer local self
government. Beyond few general limita-
tions the State should empower municipal
corporations 10 regulate their own affairs.
| In this Commonwealth, at least, many Of the
most prolific sources Of abuse have been fas-
tened on cities by the Legislature of the
State, from which the people have sought to
relieye themselves IN demands for the re-
peal Of the obnoxious legislation. Many Of
their concerns are under the direction OF Of
fcers who owe no responsibility to the cor
| p 'rations they serve. In some instances the
power previously conferred upon cities to
regulate matters exclusively affecting the
convenience and comfort Of their own citi
zens has been taken from them by the Gem
eral Assembly. 1t is this legislation from
distance that has caused many OF the com
|
be stopped and its wrongs redressed. The
people of cities, who best know their own
wants, should be allowed to spend their own
money, fix the salaries of their own officers
and direct their own private affairs. This
would be more in accordance with the spirit
of our institutions and would make local
officers responsible to the people, whose
servants they are, and who would thus
have in their own hands the power to cor
rect the evils under which they suffer.
look forward with bright anticipation
tn the future of our Com mon wealth. Her
possibilities are great beyond those of almost
any oil her sister States. Let it always be
remembered by all citizens that intelligence
and virtue are the safeguards Of liberal in.
stitutons. The law must be preserved in
its integrity and supremacy citizenship
should not be treated as light privilege,
but its duties should be made a serious mat
ter of conscientious performance; the purity
of our elections must be sacredly preserved,
and alike ,ould feel personal interest
in discharging their obligations to the State
and sustaining the officers Of the law in the
faithful and just performance of their func
tions. II will always he my pleasing duty
to cn. operate with the represen tatives of the
people in giving validity to eDaciments
whose object is the dissemination Of infor-
nation, the promotion of the general wei
fare, the placing of additional safeguards
around the upright or the punishment aud
restraint OF the lawless and vicious In
short, whatever will tend 10 develop the re-
sources, increase the comforts or enlarge the
happiness and prosperity of the citizens ol
the State, which has been alike fortunate in
Its location and the wise policy Of its found
er, should receive the seiulous attention and
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