The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1899-06-16

"cll leeI pTouu.
|
In this weeks issue we publish thu
governors reply to Judge Coleman.
letter as to the pardon of lyo Miller
In our own mind there is no doubt
as to the promise of pardon being
made, for with a chance of 8 to | o
the juries Of the county that might
be %empaneled turning the prisoner
free, we do not believe that Judge
Coleman would have accepted my
thing, AS he says, from the governor
but a direct promise of pardon before
pleading Miller guilty. What was
published in this letter he told here
to the demanding crowd which as
sembled at his Office after hearing of
the unexpected results on the day of
the trial, and if he has ever changed
one word we have never remembered
it, for. as he expressed it, sit was
written on his mind us if placed
there with a red hot iron As to
the governors disbelief of the girls
testimony. tins is true, for from the
first he had no confidence in it and
told Judge Coleman so; but as the
letter says, If lyo had 10 knowledge or
thought at the time Of killing. she
was c%llaste, he ought to be pardoned
Now. he publishes a letter of Judge
Colcman'S OF Dec. end. Why does
he not publish the one of Aug. 10Th,
and his answer of the Goth. These
two letters were the first bearing, on
the subject, and will show to the
people of the state Coleman'S con-
tidcncc in his promise. There is an
other facts which proves CoIeman's
statements as To the promise, and
that Is about the governors economy,
the saving 1T the state Of SO and a
suit Of clothes, The governor says
that ~ asked sam what is there left
out of the letter that ought to have
been stated referring to one Coleman
wrote him in which he said 'stliatthe
governors letter did not go forenough,
and Coleman said. ''Anse. YOU
told me if you should pardon him in
thirty days, | must not make the
state pay the so and suit of clothes"
For what reason did Judge Coleman
call his attention to this fact?
There was nothing in it. helpful to
hi$ client. Aud in al fairness, does
not his Coleman 81 statement sound
the most reasonable. The lrtirl IL
when he said. II can agree Ia Huuui
aI' said in your letter rs tar il guay.
he meant That the half had not 0aru
told and we do not believe the SO
and suit of clothes ever entered hl,
mind. Following this statement Of
his tt'ov. McLAurln) on, he says he
met Judge kimOrUugh and McClurg
at Bates VILE. who presented again
the application for pardon. and upon
their word that Judge Coleman had
abandoned his threats of making such
publication us the promise of pardon
before conviction. would pass upon
the matter next week. Now. why
should anything Coleman said or
published withhold the pardon IT
justice demanded it, Again, may
we ask if the facts were true rs he
endorsed on the pardon, unless there
was Il future promise. why was lie
pardoned! There is something be-
hind and unless the governor bring
out more conclusive proof than his
the fair and impartial mind
believe that there was either a
promise OF political reward to be
gained by his acts in the whole mat
ter. In conclusion we are glad to ,
nee. from letters, since the change OF
editors, he has gone to reading the
Commonwealth which will prove To
MIN a source of much pleasure and y
Will, no doubt. convince him that !
Judge Coleman is wholly irresponsible .
or its editorial utterances and it Is !.
ar from his power as well, as that of ,
he governor of a state, to change q
hem. when in tho riuhf d.