Evening journal., 1900-12-27
Nn PARn0N


Constitutional Convention framed,
adopted and promulgated these provi-
sions in our organic law they were
moved By a knowledge that under the
old Constitution, which gave the gov
ernor sole and practically unrestricted
power in the matter Of granting par
dons, abuses had grown up which
ought to be cured:
The governor shall have power to
remit fines and forfeitures, and to
grant reprieves, combinations Of sem
tence and pardons, except in cases Of
Impeachment; but no pardon CT re-
Drieve for more than six months shall
be granted. nor sentence cnmmutcd,
except upon the recommendation In
writing OF a majority Of the Board Of
Pardons after full hearing, and such
recommendation, with the reasons
therefor at length, shall be filed and
recorded In the Office OF the secretary
Of State, who shall forthwith notify the
governor thereof He shall fully set
forth in writing the grounds OF all re-
prieves, pardons and remissions 20 be
entered in the register Of his official
acts and before the General Assembly
at its next session. The Board Of Par
oons shall be composed of the chan
cellor. ieutenant-gOvernOr, secretary of
state, State treasurer and treasurer of
accounts The said board may require
information from the Encouragement
upon any subject relating to the duties
Of said board.
John ID. Hawkins. secretary Of State
under Governor Reynolds, is seeking a
pardon. His personal friends are cir
culating a petition and obtaining sig
natures to be laid before the Board OF
Pardons 10 influence it in favor Of the
disgraced official who now languishes
in Dover Jail doing time for fraudu-
lent transaction in which there were
no mitigating circumstances, and for
which there was mo excuse but bis own
badness OF heart. the Board of Par
dons listens with fave to his plea for
clemency the safeguards contained in
our Constitution might as well never
have been erected. for greater abuse
Of the pardoning power could not be
contemplated or committed
In cdnmon with everybody we regret
that MI Hawkins should have lived
his life i'm such a manner as to de-
serve a long term of imprisonment,
but he has done il. nobody but himself
is to blame for it, and there should be
no intervention by the Board Of Par
dons in his behalf.
Mr. Hawkins had every opportunity
TO become a good and useful citizen,
a power in politics, and an honorable
member Of that honorable profession,
the practice Of law. He disgraced his
citizenship, outrageously misdirected
his political opportunities and ener-
gies, and shamefully abused his pow
ers as an attorney and as an officer of
the court In few years he became
a disgrace to his family, his party and
his profession, and it became neces-
sary, for the safety Of society. 20 put
him away wher he no longer could par
ticipate in the social. political and
professional affairs of our State. The
crime for which he was convicted was
but one Of many which he is alleged Ia
have committed. and II a calendar OF
his misdeeds were written by him. or
oy one intimately acquainted with IN.
daily doings. we believe Il would tas
the credulity OF the public to concelv,
that man could crowd into such 4
few short years so many fraudulent
transactions in politics and business.
We are opposed to his pardon. Tn,
people Of Delaware are opposed to II
His sentence Of two years IS ligh
enough. Il does not reduce the scale
Of justice to an even balance by an.
means. So, leave him whero he is. III
time he spends in prison may not re
form him, although we hope it will
but It at least relieves society OF Tn
apprehension which it always feel
when such a desperate character is a
large.
Dom Paul went into hiding bebind