The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1889-04-04

in low communicating dives from whose por-
conferred upon the governor by the const-
tuition. The wisdom of centering in one
person this important prerOgative is ques-
toned by many, and by limited number it
is thought it should not exist at all. Right
here | wish to state that the opponents Of
the pardoning power, whether the applicant
be deserving or not, is confined to limited
number | wonder whether those immacu-
late gentry will still hold to their views
when called upon at. the final judgment. to
answer for the deeds done in the body. Yer
lily the race of Pharisees is not yet extinct.
Burns never gave utterance to more truth
full saying than MANS inhumanty to man
makes countless thousands mourn"
But to return to the Governors views on
the pardOning power. he further says: My
own Judgment is that it should exist and
that its proper lOdgment is with the chief
executive officer of the state. But / am
convinced from brief experience i'm its eX
ercise that in justice bOtn to the governor
and the applicant for pardon an advisory
board of pardOnS should be created and es-
tablished by law, to whom all applications
for pardon should be referred. and whose
duty it should be after due investigation
and consideration to pass upon the merits
of each application and report their findings
and recommendations to the governor for
his use and guidance. In common fairness
to the prisoner. at any rate, this should be
DONE"
In accordance with this recommendation.
there have already been introduced in the
present legislature at least two bills l have
not seen their full text. but judging from
an outline of one of them published in THE
MIRROR, 1 don't think it comes up to the
requirements, in that it diScriminateS
against prisoners serving less sentence
than period of five years. Another OBJ
jectionable feature is; that to insure par
don it requires the Endorsement of the judge,
prosecuting attorney and a number of the
jury. Now, it is a we'll known fact that
there are judges in this state, who, while they
may interpOse no objection to the pardon
of an applicant sentenced by them, will not.
unless fully convinced of the innocence of
the applicant. favorably indOrse such appli-
cation; it matters not what may have been
the circumstances which led to the COM
mission of the offence; no matter how long
he has been imprisoned, and by his conduct
given proof that he has fully repented; no
matter how clean his past record may have
been. All these will not tend to revoke the
original decision of the judge; he will not
Stultify himself by the sanction Of pardon,
where he has once pronounced judgment.
1t is not for me to criticiSe the motives of
the honorable gentlemen who pursue this
line % action. nor do so intend. merely
mention the facts. l presume that these are
Influenced by conscientious sense of their
duty. In this connection there occurs to
me the following quotation from diStin-
guished English author (Thackeray) who
says: "But the Judge who sees not the
utxuo r6
views not the wrong alone. but the tempta-
tiOns, struggles, ignorance of erring .crea
lures. we know has different code to ours
to ours who fall upon the fallen. who
fawn upon the prosperous so. who admins
ter our praises and puniShmentS so pre-
,.iatiirely. who now strike so hard, and, anon,
spare so shamelessly." Most of our earthly
judges govern their actions strictly by the
law and evidence that IS applicable to the
cases that come before them; they waste no
time on eXtraneous matters which may have
been the impelling motive in the commits
sion of crime. That savOrs too much of
Sentimentalty. But we occasionally hear
of Judge who takes the responsibility of
''going behind the returns" when he is
satisfied that the ends of justice will not
suffer by the discharge of the culprit But
let us have board of pardons by all means.
Don't establish it for the benefit of the lin
nOcents'" exclusively. Surround it with all
the safeguards that justice may require, but
don't hedge it about with provisions that
will make it inaccessible to either the man
serving a sentence of one year. or the man
undergoing life sentence. We have men
i'm our midst fully deserving of clemency,
but who. as matters now stand. tor lack of
money or friends cannot get their case put
in proper shape for the Governors con-
sideratiOn. TAMMANY.
little ROStOn pirI (aS tho hoir ;c