The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1885-01-13
should be imposed upon the prison inspect

L have exercised the psrdoning power as
often as / thought it wise aud PRECEDENT,
taking care not TO abuse the confidence OF
the state, MOI, by its illberal use, have a
wrong done a citizen. Those pardonrd,
with a few exceptions, have at once en-
gagged in honest industry and are making
| lsw-abidipg citizens. TIE Executive
should never hesitate in the exercise oil
tbs power, when he is satisfied that a
wrong has been done the convict by an
oppressive sentence, by perjury OF interes ed
witnesses or the rash actions OF an ,xcited
jury or court. The public often censures
The governor for granting pardons when it
is least advised as to the resi- facts con
nected with the case. He knows or should
know, those fsc,s much more intimately
than the public. 10 every instance be has
all the facts before him; the impelling mo-
tive Of the pros cuiiOn, bnowle0ge OF the
acts OF the court, jury and witnesses, and
often las evidence that a conviction was
obtsined on subOrned testimony, or facts
that justify the bslief that an exec ssiye
punishment has been inflicted, which does
an injury alike to the man and the state,
and msny other minor reasons of which
the public can know nothing. Such unjust
criticisms often do violence TO the truth,
violence 10 Justice and violence to society
1t is is bett,r that ninety and nine guilty
persons should escape than one innocent
SHOULD be wrongly or unduly punished.
Nothing hastens a mans steps toward crime
more rapidly than the belief that he has
been wrongly convicted and hsrshly SEN
In ha
he stands the sccus.r of society for the wrong
Inflicted on him. From being the sinner,
he has become sinned against, and ne starts
out upon a new ard real career of crime,
feeling the glow of mora al sanction as he
resolves sfresh 10 perpetuste his war
on society. Such f-eliI is rational. 1t
is one OF the infrimities of fdllen nature.
and il will lie hard to reform the criminal
when he feels, and has such just cause to
feel, that he is himself the subject of
greater wrong at the hands of society, than
he has ever inflicted upon it. The 'rdon-
ing power is vested in the Executive to
meet such cases, by the law makers, think
ing 1t wiser TO save q man than have him
an unjustly condemned criminal for life,
with no chance to retrieve his shadowed
reputation and rebuild his prosrraie char
&C er. In addition to the errors of trial
and conviction, the Executive discovers
traces of manhood still left in the criminal,
and is implied TO save him 10 a more hon.
orable walk in life, and would more often
succeed If society would aid in his r, clam.
stion. by kind word and helpirg hand.
and BOT further sex 10 bura the stripes of
his garb into bis boly and memory, by
cherries Indifference [ pardoned within
the first two years of this administration,
90 persons, ard 10 from the meeting of the
! ST General Assembly up to January /,
1885. These were generally those who do
not belong, in the full sense of the word, 10
the criminal class. they are Largely those
convicted OF murder in the second q, gree.
Such persons are often the victims OF mis-
fortune rather than criminals, who, under
;he iLhuence OF sudden passion, being as
ssulted or In heated p rsoDal encounter,
KILLED their fellow MAJ, and In whose
he.rts no vindictive, DO malicious, no
criminal feeling had existed prior 10 the
act, but who were driven to il by a mis-
chance that may befsll shy man in society.
The law declares them guilty of crime and
condemns them to punishment. But are
such not worthy of consideration? Should
IN whom the Tower OF Sloan fell much
worse sinners than many who exult over
the fall? The law In such cases needs no
vindication. Ii infiicis the Punishment as
4 mesure OF discipline for those upon whom
II falls, and warning TO others 10 keep
their passions under control aud resist
evil Upon consult alton with the warden
and prison officers, have pardoned two
prisoners on each recurring 4th Of July
and Christmas day. They have uniformly
been prisoners of long sentences, who
have conducted themselves we'll In prison
generally one of Oh color and in most
instances, those who had no friends to in
terc'de In their behalf. These HOLIDAYS
have beer looked to with more than ordi-
nary interest by the prisoners, as none of
them knew upon whom the favor would
fall until called to receive the pardon.
The custom has worked well, and has
h a salUtary effect. In no instance has
one IF those pardoned misbehaved I'm So
ciety. They are impressed with the idea
that the same conduct that secured the par
don will secure succ' IS in the ordinary
walks OF life. / now think ii would be
wiser 10 grant Conditional rather than full
psrdons 20 those receiving this grace of the
state. This grows out of two facts: First.
the discharged convict is aware that he
still remains urder the supervision of the
state. and that the state trusts him on COL
diiion that be makes law-abiding either
81 C md, he is also aware of the fact that If
he yiol.ies that coudiiIon of the parion
he will be tried and ieiucarcerated for the
balsnce of the original sentence. Under
such pardon, he is the subject of one O,
those two impulses which are to be found
in every man: pride and fear, and which |
govern every man either in one or The other
direction. There are quite a number Of
old, enfsehled and broken.down men in the |
hospital OF the penitenIiary, who have been
there. If not since they entered upon their |
sentences, at least the greater part of the |
time. Those men are burden TO the state.
snd should be discharged. provided rela.
tions or friends will take them. suggest
IN tho Joint -