The leader., 1898-07-06
The GallOws Cheated.

The efforts of Attorneys McNair and
Jones to get the Governor to commute
the death sentence of Silas Davis, col
ored, to life imprisonment proved sue
cessful, and last Sunday Sheriff Ap-
plewhite received official notice to this
effect, and that the execution to take
place Tuesday was off indefinitely.
Quite a large crowd Of country peo-
pie, white and colored, came to town
yesterday morning to witness the hang
ing the news of the Governors action
not having reached the interior. There
was great disappointment when the
situation was learned, and If the oppor-
tunity had been presented, not a few
would have voted to send the Governor
to the pen in Davis place.
By his so-called executive clemency
in this and other cases too numerous
to mention, Governor McLaurin has
paralyzed the arm of justice in Mis-
sissippi, and since Monday morning
we have heard some of the best citi-
zens of this county, who have always
been outspoken opponents of mob law,
say they will never raise voice or arm
against lynch law again while Gov.
McLaurin occupies the Governors
chair.-BroOkhaUen Leader.
1t will be commonly recalled that
some years ago Lincoln and COpiah
counties were the scene of num-
Der of murders of exceptional
atrocity. Some of them were
speedily and summarily avenged
through the mob. But they did
not check the epidemic of crime,
which was rife and rampant when
Judge Powell was appointed to
that circuit. His strong and stern
appeals from the bench in behalf
of law and the suppression of mur-
der had a thrilling and inspiring
effect upon public sentiment, and
the trial juries. Aroused to the
performance of their duty as citi-
zens to which they were sworn,
these juries convicted batch of
murderers whose crimes were ex.
ceptionally atrociOus, and sentences
of capital punishment were i'm.
posed.
These matters are all of familiar
knowledge to the readers of the
press of the State. The Judge was
applauded, and the work of his
court hailed as marking a new and
a better era in the counties of his
district. And now this is the end
of it all-'the gallOwS is cheated"
of the last one of the murderers
that were convicted by Judge
POwelfs juries. The skill of law.
yers and the clemency of the execu.
tive has won, over justice and pop
ular sentiment. The fruits of a
brave administration of law have
been turned to dead sea ashes.
Things will go on in the same old
way-lynchers will change the
venue beyond the jurisdiction of
the Governor, and an unthinking
press will prate of the defects of
the jury system.
Such defects, inflicted by the
hand that should uphold them, is
enough to make good citizens de-
spair, in the work of elevating the
moral standard of their communi-
ties. But they should resist the
impulse to give up the fight-the
stake is too vital. 1t has its moral,
too, which does not acquit the good
citizens from blame. In strict
truth, under popular government,
the people are responsible for all
ills which, like this, come through
the agencies they have chosen for
the execution of law. The lesson
of such perversiOns ofjustice comes
to the electorate of the State, plain
and unmistakable. 1t says that
there must be a better interpreta.
ton OF the responsibilities of the
vOte-that the duty of electing
good officers cannot he trifled away
without penalty.
Before entertaining this sweep.
ing condemnation of the Governor
there is another question to be an
swered. Did he issue this cOmmu-
tation of sentence upon petition
from a "large number of influential
citizenss" This is the usual course
in such matters. The prisoner EN-.
ploys attorneys who set to work
assiduously to persuade their
friends and fellow cOuntrymen, es-
pecially the men who served Oh the
jury, to sign IA petition for a par.
don or a communication. lfthat was
done in this case the "best citizens"
had best square accounts at home,
before they send the Governor to
the pen. If such was the fact their
own body, the people, furnished the
instrumentality for this defeat of
justice.
1t is quite true that the petition
does not furnish any right warrant
for the exercise of executive elem.
ency, through the mere fact of a
great array of signers, however in
fiuential they may be as social or
political factors. Unless backed
up by a meritorious statement of
facts, the petition ought to be nil.
But true it is, all the same, that
with any weak man in the Govern.
or's seat, mere weight of names and
numbers suffice as an excuse for
the indulgence of inclination; for
compliance with the wish of pO-
litically influential men, who may
be paid attorneys of the criminal.
Knowing this to be so good men,
if true TO their duty as citizens.
will be more careful of the use of
their names. If not, they must
share the blame of the consequences
social decentralization and lynch
law-that follow misuse of the par.
doniDg pOwer.-Vicksburg Herald.
The Governor receives numerous
letters asking for commissions as