The Brookhaven leader., 1885-04-09
The Pardonlng Power Again.

IcrCu Nv IaNlly IN the cntOrCClnent OF
the law, ard 10 the frequent uncondi-
tional discharge of prisoners, known
TO be guilty of the most revolving
crimes, may he attributed the fre-
qucnt outbursts of passion on the
part of communities, under the in
lluence of which lynch law is made
to do what the State laws fail in do
ing. The responsibility for this
does not rest altogether with the Elk
ccutivc, however as will he seen nv
reference the last Mississippi Re
ports Of the Supreme Court, in which
we find just twelve appeals from
vcrdicts for murder reported. nine Of
the number being reversed and three
| affirmed. This shows that even in
the Supreme Court the State has
when it is remarked that before ju-
ries, with the maxim that cit Is bet
ter that 30 guilty men escape than
one innocent man should be punish
cd" the State has one chance in ev-
crv hundred before juries-then it
may be appreciated how important
it is to the peace and safety of soci-
ctv to hold on TO vcrdicts of guilty.
when we get them. OF course we do
not mean to say that in acting upon
/ Il case the supreme Court ever per-
mits itself to be influenced Ivy either
fear or favor, because it is Il tact that
a reversal is invariably the result of
error on the part of either the Dis
trict Attorney or the lower court.
We simply wish to show the many
difficulties to be encountered by the
State in securing verdict of guilty
and the protection due by society
and the public at large, at the hands
of the Executive, against this class.
/ As stated in an article on this sub.
/ iect in the last issue of the Gazette.
we believe that "whcn n person has
had q fair and impartial trial before
Il tribunal constituted for this pur-
pose and composed of jury of his
peers, who have patiently heard and
weighed every circumstance that can
be urged in his favor by aStute and
distinguished counsel, who by their
verdict, based upon undisputed facts
say that there are no circumstances
OF justification or eXtcnuation IN the
matter, and this finding is by ajudge
who has the power and authority to
correct errors anil remedy abuses, if
any, the defendant has had full
benefit of all he is entitled to, and
further exercise Of authority, by the
Executive or otherwise, is al bitrary,
and should never be exercised ex
cept in extreme cases that are hard
~ likely to arise" We repeat this
sentiment onl Y to emphasize it.
In support of out theory of how
signatures To petitions for pardons
arc obtained, we refer to a sugges-
tive story told Of President Clevc-
land. While Mayor of Buffalo the
office Of chief of police became va
cant. One Of the applicants for the
place filed monster petition, sign
ed so numerously that the Mayor
was just about to put him in, when
two friends happened to come in and
objected to the applicant as wholly
unfit. The Mayor pointed to a long
list of signatures vouching for the
applicant, but nevertheless agreed to
wait q day or two before acting on
the case. The next day one OF the
two gentlemen brought in formida
bic petition, signed by thousands Of
persons, including many personally
friendly to Mayor Cleveland him
self The petition, which these sign
ers had never read, was addressed
to the Governor of New York and
represented that the Mayor himself
had been guilty of embezzlemcnt,
misconduct in office and nearly ev-
cry other crime in the calendar, and
insisted on his removal from office
forthwith. The Mayor thus discov,
cred by practical test how easily
signatures were procured to papers.
SO it is right here at home. Petit
tlonS are signed every day, nine
tenths Of those attaching their sig
natures failing to even inquire for
what purpose the paper is being cir
culated.
The South in past years has been
ptasterel all over with crime; indeed
so frequent and so revolving have be-
come the deeds of violence that we
as a people have been held up to the
world. Our "hip pocket" has be-
come hyword and our justice char
a, terized as a mockery. Let us
away with the cause that leads TO
these opinions being passed upon us.
How shall we doit? By strict en-
loIcement of the law, and by prompt
execution of the verdict in every
case where conviction has been Sc
cured after q fair trial.-RdymOnd
Gazette.
a Prohibitlonist.