The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1901-11-09
THE CHEAPEST THING 4.
LIFE,

Advocate.
will it not remain cheap as long rs the
pulpit and pre.s maintains its present atti-
Jude of silence and indifference to crime?
Are we of the press performing the sacred
duties of journalism when making excuses
life i !. ,aIens ss'} Il We do not openly
killings do we not suppress comment II the
killer happens to be to the manor born?
Have VIC ever roasted jury for acquit.al
at q time every person in the comm unity
knew full we'll that the accused was guiltyf
DO we not know that when criminals have
influential friends that it is well nigh inn
possible to convit for any crime?
Let the pulpit and the press do its duty
fearlessly and human life will be more
secure Proclaim the commandment: ''thou |
shalt no, KILL" in thunder tones and follow
the proclamation up bya few CONVICTIONS
and the price of life will he ra'sed.-na'o"
Rouge Truth.
In this section of the State iuries
do their duty. When the facts
warrant IA conviction, jurors, are,
as a rule, willing to convict and
they do convict. The Gazette re-
calls a number Of cases where family
influence. political pull and money
failed to secure verdicts of &C
uuit,al. Particularly is this true of
| Lafayette parish The trouble does
no, lie with the jury. But there is
something wrong with that part OF
the machinery whose business it is
to enforce the sentence of the court.
We refer to the abuse Of the pardon
| iny power Lately we do not know
If that branch of the criminal adj
m,nistratior has exercised it's au-
thori,y unwisely, but it is noto-
rious fact that during the last few
years it has done great injury TO the
cause Of justice in this State. There
is no sort of doubt about that.
The wonder is that it has not done
greater harm.
The Gazette remembers that dur
ing the past decade number OF
white men, who committed homl-
cides, were sent to the State pen,-
Tertiary from this section, and every
one was pardoned shortly after his
conviction. OF the number tina,
we now recall not one served out
the sentence Of the court. 1t is not
possible that in all these cases the
Board knew better than the iurie:
and that the verd,cts were unjust
And yet, in each case the ludgmen
of the court was ruled and thu
administration of criminal justice
brough, into contempt and dlsre
, pect.
Ii our Baton Rouge contempt
, rar.es will look into this matter the,
will find out that too loose exer
else of the pardoning power is on
Of the ailments that have afflicted
the administration of criminal jus
lt,ce in this State. We know tina
the Board has often acted in re
Spouse t. petitions signed by
large number of people and in som
cases by members OF the iuries tina
:, rendered the verdlcts, but everyon
n knows how easy it is to secur
it sisners to petition for pardon
particularly when it is circulated b
"a relative of the person seekIn
clemencv. Nine Gut of ten person
~ who attach theit namesto petitio
of this character are actuated BY
,e mistaken sense of sympathy an
l" the, fail to appreciate the impo'
lance OF an act by which they III
,s consciously cause much injury
in the community.
Those who have the power
L. grant pardons should not perm
themselves to be carried away by
!, dangerous sentimentaiity. The
as should no, interfere with II
as judgments of the courts unless the
r. action is sustained by facts, whic
are sometimes revealed after tt
s,s trial of : case. Under no circuu
nd stances should they allow ther
ug selves TO be influenced by petite
Ter which is generally signed regardle
-. of its merits.
"a We would not withhold a 1.-THE
lis mercy from the unfortunate who d
TO- serves it. We know that the quail
IN of mercy is not strained-that
-" droppeth as the gentle rain fro
heaven: but We also know that
ha, should not respond to the poll
mn mil