The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-04
PRESIDENTIAL PARDoNs.
Examples of Clemency Denied-Limi-
tations of the Function.

tations of the Function.
Washington Letter in Boston Transcript.
The most frequent forms Of crime of
which pardons are asked are counterfeit
ing and stealing from the mails Appeals
in such cases, however, usually fail. Mr..
Cleveland's Endorsement on an applicant
recently made by a jail-bird convicted of
making false money reads simply: DE
MED. Counterfeiting must be suppressed. -
On the paper submitted in behalf of a
man sentenced for stealing letters from
the mails the Endorsement again reads:
Denied. Offenses of this kind are far
| too common, and the public good, in my
opinion, demands severity" Using the
post for fraudulent purposes is a fault sell
dom pardoned, A mall robbers recent
petition for release from prison is in
dorSed with the words: Denied. Such
crimes are becoming atarmingly fire.
Quent." In another case unfavorably de-
cided the Endorsement reads: Shoot
ing at revenue officers must be dis
outraged
There are now about 500 individuals,
sentenced for violations of the laws of
the United States, scattered about in
forty odd penitentiaries in various parts
of the country. The government sadly
needs more prisons. 1t owns at present
only five penal eStablishmentS-tV o peni-
tentiaries in Washington State and Utah,
and jails at Washington city, Portsmouth,
Ark, and Sitka, Alaska. Besides these
it rents a few jails in Indian Territory
and Oklahoma Territory. The institu-
tionS mentioned being insufficient Uncle
Sam is obi ed to make use of those be-
! longing to the states. A bill was passed
by the last congress establishing three
| federal prisons big enough to accommo-
date 1900 guests, but the necessary
clause appropriating money to build
| them was omitted from the law by acct
! dent,
| The pardonlng power of the President
| is above congress, which cannot curtail it
in any manner, because it is part of the
constitution Mr.. Cleveland can remit
| fines and penalties imposed under the
! revenue laws. At the same time he can
not cause the amount of a fine TO be re-
| turned after it has been paid into the
! treasury He may, and often does, miti-
gate sentence Of court-martial; but he
! cannot change the manner of the punish
1 meut pro Scribed For example, he could
! not compel an officer of the army or navy
| to paw a fine instead of undergoing sus-
| pension from rank. He can pardon an
offender before he is sentenced, or even
before conviction but that is not often
done.
| Etiquette has its place in the matter of
! DarQO0S On one OCCdSlOu OSu. AFbuuF
| referred an application 10 his Secretary
| OF War The latter appealed for counsel
to Attorney General Brewster. But Mr..
Brewster refused TO give 1t, because to do
SO would be merely to advise the secre-
tary as to what advice he should give to
the President Governors of territories
can grant reprieves, but they can only
pardon with the approval of the chief ex-
ecluive. A governing decision in the de-
partrnent OF justice IS to the effect that
any district attorney may assure par
don to a counterfeiter who betrays his
accomplices and gives up his plates or
molds, together with all initiated paper
or coin in mis- possession. In Massachu-
setts a, picturesque custom holds, one con-
vict being released from prison by the
governor of the state every Thanksgiving
day.
bv Mr.. Cleveland during his former term
was that to Cyril L. Benedict, who had
charge of the Adams Express Company's
ONCE in the treasury here. he stole sew
oral thousand adollars. lie was prose-
cuted, sentenced, and served one year in
prison. Then he was released, at the so
! iicitation of the company whom he, had
rnbbed. The latter has since employed
him ia another capacity. The fact that
rsspectable employment awaits convict
on his release has some weight in obtain
ing his pardon.