The Daily soliphone., 1902-05-10
Lieutenant-G Governor Huddles-
ton Gives Ills Reasons
For Issuing 1t.
Says, g! Thonght 1t Was Right, and
That Is the Only Excuse
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Learning that there was some
criticism of Lieut. .-Gov. Huddleston
on account OF his pardonng James
Grant recently, d representative OF
the Soliphone called on Gov. Hud-
d!eston at his office this morning to
ascertain what he had to say about
it, if anything. He seemed surprised
that anyone familiar with the facts
in the case should offer any criticism
and said: sff 3st&8
"The petition asking for Grants
pardon was signed by five ministers
of the Gospelsand pastorsof churches,
we'll known and Of excellent stand
ing in Paragould, and by large
number of Greene county best clti-
zeos. | thought certainly l could
afford to act on the petition and
personal requests of so large num-
Der OF people who certainly have the
county's best interest at stake, even
if I did not know the facts myself.
But ithappened to be my papers that
were burned. Capt. B. III. Crowley
and | were partners at the time and
it was our dispositions that were
burned, he signed the petition, and
it would have looked very much like
| had scne personal grievance to
have refused under the clrc um-
stances. jim Grant has lived long
in our midst, and while he has not
made a good citizen, as many allege,
the burning of thirty cents worth of
of papers has been the most heinous
crime he has committed. He was
drunk, or very largely under the in
auence of whiskey at the time the
act was committed, and while this
does not excuse him, in the mind of
every fair man it is some mitigation.
He promised me on his honor as
an Irishman that not another drop OF
whiskey would ever pass his lips. 1t
cannot be denied that Jim Grant is
an exceedingly charitable man. I
have known him to sit by the side of
a sick bed on which rolled and tossed
and langulshed human being, too
poor to pay him for his services, or
to afford the actual necessities of
scant and hum BILE living, and watch
and care with all the tenderness of q
brother, the poor sick wretch until
he nursed him back to- health.
Misery and wretchedness ever moved
him to tears, and he has ever re.
'sponded readily with liberal dona-
tion from his scanty purse to allevi-
ate human suffering. 1t has been
truthfully said that there is no such
thing as absolute vileness in the
world; in every human heart there
um bers some good traits, seed q
virtue. capable Of expanding into a
flower. There has been that about
his secret life that will touch the
tender spot in the hardest heart that
was ever tuned to the de.sfLless song
Of humanity. I am not debating
Jim Grants epitaph, I may be sing
ing my own in the estimation Of
some, but for pure and undefiled re.
ligion as defiued by the Word Of
God, Jim Grant scars above some Of
tho SO who despise him as high as the
eagle that forever scars sunward is
above the miserable carrion crow
feeding upon the putrid carcass. /
do not mean this for an apology; do
not think my action calls for any,
and those who feel disposed to-criti-
cze are at liberty to do So After I
saw his condition ! thought it was
right, and that is the only excuse I
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