The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-10-08

THOSE CONFERENCE RESOLUTIONS.
ION my way to Boone the other
evening picked up copy of a news
paper published at Des Moines, and
read in it the resolutions adopted at
the Methodist Episcopal conference
held in that city few days since.
The sixth in number of these is in the
following words:
1--WE protest against the policy Of
special executive clemency towards
the violators of the prohibitory law,
and respectfully suggest that it is the
sworn duty of our chief executive to
enforce said law rather than wink ut
its violation and then insist upon its
repeal because it is not enforced
Il would not willingly speak dis
respectfully of the reverend gentle
man who composed that conference.
l would not under any circumstances
be induced to speak of the sacred
calling in which they are engaged,
and in what am about to say, beg
that my hearers will put no false con.
struction on the language will be
compelled to use to clearly present
the ideas desire to express.
ONLY ONE CONSTRUCTION.
There is only one possible con-
struction that can be put upon the
resolution above quoted. 1t is q
direct charge that in my official posi-
ton of chief magistrate of my state l
have knowingly countenanced and
encouraged violations Of one of its
criminal statutes by wrongfully ex-
ercising the pardoning power at pres
ent invested in me, and that having
done SO am now advocating re-
peal of the law because it is not en-
forced.
This could not be true and | re-
main for a single moment worthy Of
the exalted position to which the peo-
pie of my state, unsolicited by myself,
have called me. If it is true l am
both in morals and in law guilty Of
the commission of q high crime, for
which / should be impeached and
consigned to felon's cell instead OF
occupying the position of chief mag
istrate of great state. 1t cannot,
therefore, be expected that any de-
gree of Difference for the profession
in which these reverend gentlemen
are engaged can close my lips when a
charge SO serious is made against me
DIFFERENT INDICATIONS.
know have been educated IN q
different school from that in which
these gentlemen acquired their views
of fairness to their fellowmen, and !
know that in the minds of the great
mass Of good men and good women
of this state theirs has been the bet.
ter school from both q moral and q
Christian standpoint; hut want to
say plainly to them that 1t would be
impossible to gather together an
equal number of the members OF the
legal profession who could be induced
to pass such q judgment upon the
vilest culprlt that ever existed with
out knowing the facts upon which
that judgment was based, and with
out giving the accused an opportuni'
ty to be heard In his own defense
And yet before the world l now de.
clare that although it is true that the
records of the executive office, which
are public property open to the In.
spection of all who wish to examine
them, disclose In every case the evi.
dence On which my action In granting
Executive clemency has been based
not one of these gentlemen either
personally or by agent has ever enter
ed that Office to ascertain the facts il
one single case wherein l am thu
censured because I have exercised .
power which the law confers for tn
lexpress purpose of having it used il
all proper cases. In as much As the,
have been willing to condemn with
out hearing and pass judgment il
total ignorance of the facts on whic
their judgment ought to have bee
Y based, / must for their enlightenmen
: as we'll as my own defense, call after
!, ion to a few of the cases in which III
3 action has been SO severely crit
Icised."