The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-11-28
Allan L. McDermott To Ap-
ply Tomorrow For the
Ballot Box Stuff
fers' Release.
ON TICKETS OF LEAVE.
All the Good Effects of Their Con.
victlon Already Secured
Their Wives Pleas.

make an appeal to the Court of Pardons
Tor mercy for the convicted ballot bog
suffers, who are serving terms of i'm
prlsonment in State Prison and the
Snake hill Penitentiary. Immediately
after the last election was over the coun-
ty was flooded with petitions asktu9
the Court of Pardons to pardon thesa
criminals. The petitions were readily
signed by those who sympathized with
the ballot box suffers, and 1t is said that
vast number of signatures has been
obtained. Among them. however. cannot
De found the names of the Judges on
PROSECUTOR, who tried the cases.
II the Court refuses to pardon the ball
lotbox suffers. it will be requested to|
parole the men and allow them their lib,
erty on tickets Of leave. It is confidently
ANTICIPATED by the friends of the ballot
Dox suffers that this clemency will be-
SHOWN by the Court of Pardons and that
Ihe prisoners will soon be back in the,
city.
Yes, we will have the boys all home Id
lew days" said the brother of one Of
fsg prison Oaiiee-oox OF suffers, who is In State
hard fight for them and I feel sure the
court Will let them come back"
GROUNDS OF THE APPEAL.
called on ex-Judge McDermots today
and asked him II it was true that the an
plicarion for pardon would be made bv
MN TO the Court of Pardons tomorrow,
ana he replied that he intended to make
the appeal.
DO you mind, Judge, letting me have
lew OF the points you will raise when
you present the petition?"
MOI at ALL" he replied pleasantly,
MY hrst point will be that there Is
no difference between any of these cases
No man can be guilty of a degree OF
otfense different from any other man
who has committed the same offense. In
these cases some of the convicted
men were sent to the Penitentiarv and
others to State Prison, having
been found guilty of the same ofPenses- I
mink the administration of justice and
mercy should hx the maximum punish-
ment at the minimum, for all are equally
guilty"
Again some of those men were sent
to the Penitentiary because they elected
not to avail themselves of the right of ap-
peal. writ of error Is a writ of right,
ana don't think the fact of awaiting
themselves OF that right should add 10
the punishment of the ones who did SO.
NO CRIMINAL DISPOSITION
I'm looking over the records lind that
ont of thirty-ive of these men, thirty
Inree OF tnem were never in their lives
before charged with any Cffeaee While
nothing can be Said in paHiRtion OF the
offense committed by them, l donbt be.
lieve that ! they were men
OF the 4 criminal disposition
that requires incarceration in State
Prison to either effect cure or prevent a
repetition of the offence. They have
been degraded and diSgraeed and their
sentence has established the PRECEDENT
in New Jersey that severe punishmAnt
will follow offences against our electioHa
laws.
I'm short. believe the object of pun
ishment will have been as completely ac-
complished ii these men are pardoned or
paroled and allowed to come home to sup
port their families, as If they are forced
TO serve out the time enforced by the
Court.
Il drew the petition to the Court OF
Pardons at the request of sthe wives and
children of many of these men and it has
been signed by many os the best citizens
IN the county. Only good, sound men
have been asked to sign it-men
who are property owners and busi-
ness men. have been told
that the names of ten or
twelve clergymen are on the petition. I
did not bring this matterbefoFe the Court
before election because 1t would have
created partisan cry for political cap
ltal. AS matter OF fact the petitions are
signed by Republicans and Democrats.A
Tnere is no politics in the matter at al