Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-01-16

industrious citizens, and to have won
the run confidence and esteem of the
communities in which they reside. 4.
Very few pardons and less commuta-
lions of sentence have been granted
during the past biennium; but. encour-
aged by the action of the legislature,
have been quite liberal in granting
paroles; and have released 2OI on con-
dltlons more or less exacting. Suit
able employment has usually been Sc
cured before the release, and the pa
role mas been upon condition that the
recipient employ his time industri-
ously, spend his evenings at home,
absent himself from all places where
intoxicating liquors are sold or kept
Tor sale, and report every 80 days to
this office the amount earned and the
disposition thereof In addition |
nave number of beneyolently dis
/ posed persons in each county who, I'M
4 beknoWn to others, watch the conduct
I OF paroled prisoners, and report their
conduct to this office. The result in
most Instances has been very satisfac-
tory. or the 2Q1 paroled, unfavorable
reports have been received from 81.
/ ana they nave been returned to serve
/ out the unexpired portions of their
sentences. The present whereabouts
| OF is others is unknown. Most of
these had but few months of their
terms remaining, and they were re-
leased in the hope that the conditions
| imposed and the system of suryeil-
lance inaugurated might have helpful
influence. The remaining 1855 are do
ing reasonably well, and many of
them excellently. Some of them. how
ever if they should chance to be
thrown out of employment would very
likely lapse into crime A volume
could be written that would be as in
terestlng as romance of the trans.
! formation in some of these lives. l
have extended full pardon to quite
a number whose terms would have ex.
PRED, and who have acquitted them,
| selves creditably. 1t has not been nv
purpose to extend clernency to those
who have deliberately embarked upon
a career of vice, but to sift out such
as appear to have been in a sense
accidental criminals. Some of them. it
is believed, were innocent of the
crimes charged. A detailed list, giving
the names of all persons to whom exc
cutive clemency has been extended,
and ny reasons therefor, is this day
submitted to your honorable body as
provided by statute. | refer to the
subject here as preliminary to the fol-
lowing suggestions and recommends
/ tions. | think additional legislation
should be had, but do not favor en-
cumb1-ing the parole system with
specific restrictions. think the chief
executive should have absolute au-
thority to release at pleasure any one
charged with less offense than muir
der in the first degree, and to return
him to the penitentiary at his discre-
ton. The statutory provision for
shortening the term BECAUSE of good
conduotssho besamended as to per.
nit the governor to declare the same
| forfeited in case the conduct of the
prisoner when on parole is not salts
factory. Each case is distinct from
all others. and no plan can be formu-
lated with sufficient elasticity to meet
the requirements of changed and ever
| changing conditions. Under statutory
provis e1ns, as distinguished from free
exercise of an unrestrained discre-
| ton, it is as easy for the Intentionally
vicious to earn release as for those
of honorable and virtuous instincts.
have paroled several before they have
ever seen the penitentiary. This
have not done, however, except upon
the recommendation of the trial judge
and the county attorney who prose-
cuted. There are two different classes
of criminals; the one deliberately and
permanently vicious, the other to
some extent the creature of circum-
| stances, and no law can be made that
1 will enable chief executive or a par
don board to discriminate wisely. Mis-
takes will be made at best, but on the
whole | believe in the greatest posi-
! Bile discretion, and the free exercise
thereof. | have returned several to
the penitentiary because their early
education was neglected. They had
never been taught to work land when
released would not seek or accept en-
ployment. They are now in the tool
factory at Fort Madison acquiring
what they should have been taught in
youth.
Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The investigation made by the bu.
reau of labor statistics during the last
biennium are of great Importance, and
the report will be found interesting
and valuable. More than 300 factories
were inspected and the facts ascer.
tanned and reported lead to the belief
that it would be well to make all
needed provision for the inspection
of the nearly $4,000 factories in the
cities and towns of Iowa, employing
1 10000 persons. The sanitary condi-
lions of many of the factories ex-
amined is well nigh alarming; and
think demand consideration by this
general assembly. The department
should be clothed with authority as
ample as the mine inspectors, and it
/ should be made jncumhant unon tho