New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-12

PRICE THREE CENTS.
THEY MAKE 1T LOOK WORSE.
LAME APOLOGIES FOR GROVER CLEvE
LANDS CONDUCT.
ILLEGAL SECRECY OF THE PARDoNING OF e. g.
STOKES-SECRETARY LAMOSTs
EXPLANATION.


sToKEs-sEcRETAR LAMoST's
EXPLANATION.
Further light on the pardoring Of Edward u
Stokes by Grover Cleveland when he was GoVer'
nor by no means tends To make this piece OF busl-
ness less of smirch on the political record OF the
President. New aspects in which the anair is
vfswed only strengthen the conviction that ue
proprietor of the Hoffman House secured his rcsto-
ration TO all the rights of citizenship by al ing IN
delivering TO the candidate for the Presidency IN
1854 the support of Tammany Hall The publ
cation of the story a severe shock TO those
who had regarded Grover Cleveland as incap-
able of such an act this. Self-re-
spccting Democrats fe!t that the condOnin9 of the
assassination of James Fisk. after the murderer
had spent only three years in the State Prison.
was a gross misuse of the power Of executive
clemency.
The most striking evidence that tn, transaction
WAS simply "A bargain is. of course the date Of tho
papcr-recrnbcr l. 1854. A. soon as the mcrchan-
disc was delivered, Stokes sent in his bill. 1t was
dated at the Hoffman House November 2ss
1854 II did not read "Grover Cleveland, Gov.
crnor in account with Edward ;. Stokes Dr.,
to potica, services, comIZ9te parton IL was
wored as an application for restoration TO cltzen-
ship
The dorland for payment reached the Governor.
M doubt on the next morning, November 80.
That was Saturday. The pardon was signed on
the following Monday. Governors 1lden RoDln-
.on and Cornell had. after dcli'cratlon, refused
10 wash ont the legal stair tnat was left on Stokes
for the dastardly murder committed ny MIN.
Governor Cleveland reversed their decisions forty
eight hours after he asked to do So Even
this brief space included Sunday. This amaz-
,f... tfinr.n tsall
suggests previous arr lngement. so does the
n.rfunctory tone Of the application.
The effective conceament of Mr.. tlev"land : ac-
tion i, another strong proof that lie felt that he had
done something which lie could not afford TO have
pnblicly known. Stokes said yesterday that lie
hat several times declared oh the witness stan
that he WIS in possession Cf all tie rights of cit
/ i7,n,hIp II is not exactly clear why lie shocld
have volchsafed the information al those tlni"s
An eXconvct j. allowed to testify, but h" cannot,
unless his disability has been removed, serve on
= m;v or vot" S.ok", seems think that
ncarly cvrc ono knew of his having received
patent OF citizenship from Governor Cleveland.
The interest with which the episode IN the frerl-
dent, career was discussed all over the city yes
terday, made it quite clear tnat only one person.
in ten thousand had heard of it before
The rcaS why the public hal never learneu
D
power le;orc is that Mr.. Cleveland violated
the law lie dll not disregard an act OF the
Legislature. hut the very Constitution of the
State. section Of Article " of the Consttu-
tion gives the Governor the power to grant re-
prevrS combinations and pardons after con-
| vlction" It further provides that he shall
ann ialy communicate 20 the Legislature each Case
Of roprievp, Communication parG0n granted, stat
! ing the name of the convict. III" crime of which
| he was convicted. the sentence and its date, ana
tie date of the Communication, pardon or re-
prIcvc."
The parloning power is of the most i'm
portant that an officer of the people wieldS. lie
can override the decisions of jury and all the
courts in the state. 1t was sought. when the
Constitution wa, framed, to place some check on
thu, prrogaivc. The best method thought of
wa. to require the Governor to give the Lcgisa-
turc an account of how he had used this power.
Governor Cleveland. howey,r, acted on the permis-
sive provision of iii" section. without paying any
rogard 10 the mdndator" one.
II seems however, T. have been the practice
of various Governors nor 10 send 10 the LegiS-
atnre any list of their >o-callcl "restoratlons 10
citlzrnship'-that l., eases IN whlch the cohVict
was relieved of his disabilities after He had
served out his sentence or his term had peen
committed. That this custom was and Is Illegal
is A. clear as day The Tammany liwyers OF tlS
District Attorneys office agree To this. III Is nom
,cnsical to say that restoration 70 ci.i'
zcnshp' has different status from wha' '"S
constitution call, a pardon. There Is no uocu-
m.ot known a. th. law which is called IA resto-
ration IT, citizenship Tn" Governor may gram To
,rievcs. communications or parCons The Stokes paper
i, not rcprievc. IL j. equally not comnu'atloi'
II is a rar,lon, or it i nothing at all Inc
Il tIa il i.
RESTORATION t. CITIZENSHIP.
rh. r.o,I. r the state of Ncw-Norl To all 10
whom these Present., shall come an, t,r olr County
- IN n ,h, month of october 20. l-1i. Ed
ward : stoke, convicted - m snmad
in the satc Prison at sing sing at h@ri "Dor los los
lour years. which term n',e~ci H. ana he bclng rep
r.o'n,~d mnio Us rs rhy of being restored TO 'he
''1Ti, rn,rcorc OF r. Know Ne That have pardonSd.
reniscd and released and by these Presents 90 Piruom
remisc and rcl"aN" the S'il ia CONT bc stands
convicted AS Aforesaid and Of and from all ser; hlrsh:
Judgment, ard Executions theron ana ne Is "ereoy
i',I"''I - tmonv whereof We have caused these our
Lc,r, be madr Patent dnleg "a M 'r'' seal Vi 0"'
witness Grover clryeand %%vGror r nor Of Of nemr eur S
.aic the city Of Mn 'G mrs., Gy ,b, SI pne" bures
and eighty four GROVER CLEVELAND
p,..d TO sccrctary'S Office the 1st day o Decem.
WI ,XsoN : WOOD. Deputy secretary Of state.
This i the regular form nse'i for pardJns except
that il i, headed, in small letters, Restoration
% Citizenship" II may be all right 10 plead
established custom a. an excuse Of hiding mo
manor. from the public. but when legality 10
claimed for Mr. Cleveland'S omission, the conten.
ton is absurd
The Evening Post yesterday published an
Al
i certainly as we'll qualified to speak on the sub
i.ct as anybody except Mr.. Cleveland himself
Part of it is follows