The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-28
The Governors Message.

The Governors Message.
The governors message is largely de
voted to crime, criminals. the convict lease
question and to educational matters. a
considerable portion of it-that portion rel
ative to the penitendary problem-was
published several weeks ago. for the BEN
eft OF the penltentiary committee. Hence,
the interest in the message is not as great
as it would have been otherwise.
What the governor says about crime and
iynchings viii be very generally approved.
There has been great increase in Ger
tain kinds Of crimes, and the percentage of
desperate and hardened criminals is much
greater than it was ten or fifteen years
ago. 1t is claimed and with considerable
show Of reason. that lynchings, in a well
organized community where the courts are
fully organized and open, have a tendency
TO cause an increase rather than decrease
in crime. 1t is certain that lynch law
has not put a stop to the crime Of rape.
on the contrary. in proportion as lynch
iuss have Increased, that crime has in
creased.
The governor takes very strong ground
against lynch law. He points out the evils
which flow from it. and makes recommen-
dauons in regard to it which can hardly
fail 10 command the attention of thought
full members Of the legislature. Besides
the evils with which mob violence threat
ems society, it happens sometimes that an
innocent man is the victim of the mob's
vengeance. 1t is not a difficult matter in
a community which regards lynch law
with favor, to accomplish the death of
an innocent man by charging him with
having committed a heinous offense. A
man or woman could readily satisfy a
desire for vengeance in that way.
The governor is right in saying that the
laws are to blame, in measure, for lynch
tngs, because they permit delays in trials
which create a feeling of distrust in the
courts. For instance he says that the
right of continuance is greatly abused.
Lawyers who have a bad case put the
trial of 1t off as long as they can, with
the hope that the witnesses for the state
will disappear and that it will be easier
to secure a jury disposed to deal leniently
with the accused person. The governor
recommends that the judges of the supe-
rior court alone shall have the right to
say whether or not a continuance shall be
granted. Often continuances are granted
in order to allow no ground for an excuse
for an appeal to the supreme court.
Another recommendation which the gov
ernor makes in connection with criminal
cases is that the defendant be allowed
only as many challenges of jurors as the
III
hasty trials. What he would like are
prompt trials. From what he says, it is
evident that, in his opinion there is room
for considerable improvement of the Grim
inal laws, and that if suggested reforms
were made, there would be fewer lynch
ings.
The governor has considerable to say
about schools. He is a firm believer in
them, and thinks that nothing the state
can do to improve them should be left un-
done. He holds the opinion that in pro-
portion as the people are educated, the
state will grow in wealth and population.
Education fits men and women for getting
the best results from the conditions with
which they have to deal, and good schools
encourage immigration. What the govern
or says in regard to this matter will be
received with much favorable comment.
Apparently the governor would like to
have that feature of the New York cleo
ton law, which limits a candidates cleo
ton expenses, adopted in this state. There
is no doubt that the bribing of voters is
a great evil, and no means that promises
to prevent 1t should be left untried.
There are a number of other topics
touched upon in the message all of
which are dealt with in a manner which
leaves no doubt that the governor has not
reached his conclusions in respect to them
hastily.