New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-05-22

A man has just been convicted in Delaware of
stealing an umbrella and his sentence is to pay the
costs of prosecution, fine of So one honr in the
pilory twenty lashcs and three years in Jail. If
this is the way they punish petit larceny in Della
ware the question naturally arises, What would
they do with man who should be convicted of
stealinga railroad. or wrccking bank, or perpc
trating swindlc well up in the millOns' 1t would
seem that code which iHlicts such severe penalties
mon slight offences would be in danger of breaking
down. when called upon to deal with really great
crimes from the sheer impossbllty of finding room
In an ordinary lifetime for the proper punishment.
The DracOnian cruelty of the sentence cited is
moreover all the more startling when it is remem-
bered that even the most celebrated economists
have been unable to determine certainly whether,
according to the law of Nature private property in
an umbrella is compatible with the maintenance of
a progressive civilization. Certainly umbrella
ethics in great cities are SO low that NEWCOMERS
would do well TO keep away !rom Delaware during
the rainy season.
The limitations of the cheap cabs are clearly
against the public interest and IN the line OF
fraud. Tho ayOwed purpose of these limitations is
TO deceive the public to their injury. 1t is sought
so to disguise the old cabs that people may mistake
them for the new ones and only realize their error
when they are called upon to pay much higher
rate than the new cabs charge. Whether or not
there is any law to prevent this kind of deception
remains to he seem hut those who practise it ought
10 understand that they cannot depend upon any
public sympathy in their effort to hinder and OBJ
struct the establishment OF cheap cabs In this city.
The line they have taken in fact ca not succeed for
il will only result in making ever ody very careful
as to the kind of cab they eng i, The one posi-
bic hope of successful con- -tition with the new
cabs lies in general redL ton of charges by the
owners of the old ones and this they will have to
come to if they do not want to be beaten out of the
field.
Tho Board ofPardOns at Harrisburg Penn, have
novel question before them. A pardon has been
applied for in the case of man who is serving ont
"a sentence for burglary He is wanted at st. Louis
on a charge of murder, and if paroned will at once
he rearrcsted on that charge. and put on trial for
his life The Board doubt whether convict can
be forced TO accept pardon under such crcum-
stances, and they hesitate. The gst of the qucs-
ton seems to be the ground upon which the pardon
is sought. No pardon ought to be granted unless it
be shown that the prisoner was wrongly convicted.
or has already been sufficiently punished TO
alegc that prisoner is wanted to answer another
charge is not to produce sufficient ground for n
pardon. In such case the man should he suffered
10 out his term and when 1t expired he could
be arrested for the Other crime. But if the Board
holds that il has sufficient cause for pardOning HIM
has feelings in the matter ought not to affect the
decision 1t IL certain that the exercise OF the par
doning power is quite independent of its object ana
that when prisoner has been pardoncd he cannot
refuse 10 accept the pardon since his right to do SO
would involve the right to stay IN prison after the