The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1902-01-16

the assessment of all other property in
July following. 1T does not contemplate
| revision OF the railroad assessment already
made. The following Illustrations will, /
think, justify the recommendation. In
March; lSo9. the railroads were assessed at
slight increase over the. figures of any
| previous year, but in July following 1t was
found that real estate had been assessed
~ 10000 less than two years. before. In
March, 1901. while the railroads were as
sessed S2,oOOO0O higher than In 1899, in
July 1t was found that real estate had been
assessed $14,O0o.o0o higher than in 1890.
| vided for the employment of n parole clerk
| In the office of the chief executive. This
action ! have Interpreted as legislative APP
| the state of granting conditional pardons;
and by reason of this additional assistance
have been able to investigate to some ex-
system.
During the ten years prior to the com
mencement of my administration, in addi-
sentence 1874 convicts had been released
conditionally, most of them In the very re-
cent past OF this number eight had been
one TSe ade have been
investigated. and their Whereabouts, their
conduct, and their standing, have been care
fully inquired into; Very favorable and sat
isfactory reports have been received from
tifty-three. and to these have granted full
and unconditional pardon and restoration
to. citizenship. The term for which six
Eleven are dead or insane. Only meager
reports. not sufficient to justify action,
were secured from thirteen. Unsatisfactory
| reports We're received from fourteen. have
been unable to locate or get any reports
from twenty-eight. 1t does not follow,
however. that all of these are leading
vicious lives. The reports received from
the fifty and more to whom full pardon has
been granted were most gratifying. Several
wrote using letter-heads that bort. their
names Others We're holding responsible and
trusted nnSjti0n
houses and Industrial corporations. One
was the Incumbent of an official position of
city of more than 100000 Inhabitants.
Many. were reported to have become in
d d,; citizens. and to have Won the
full confidence and esteem of the COM
munities in which they reside.
Very few pardons and less combinations
of sentence have been granted during the
past biennium: but, encouraged by the nc-
ton of the legislature. | have been quite
liberal in granting paroles; and have re-
leased POI on conditions more or less exact
ing. Suitable employment has usually been
secured before the release, and the parole
has been upon condition that, the recipient
employ his time industriously, spend his
evenings at home, absent himself from all
places where Intoxicating liquors are sold
days to this office the amount earned and
the disposition made thereof In addition
| have a number of benevolently disposed
persons in each county who. unbeknown to
others. watch the conduct of paroed prison
ers and report their conduct to this Office
The result in most instances has been very
satisfactory. OF the 201 paroed, unfavor-
able reports have been received from thirty
one. and they have been returned to serve
out the expircdportionso of their sentences.
The present whereabouts of fifteen others
is unknown. Most of these had but few
months of their terms remaining, and thew
We're released in the hope that the condi
lions imposed and the system of snrveil
lance inaugurated might have Il helpful in
fiuencc. The remaining 155 are doing rca-
sonably well, and many of them eNcelently.
Some of them, however, if they, should
chance to be thrown out of employment
would very likely lapse into vice. A volume
could be written that would be as interest,"
Ing as romance of the transformation
in some of these lives. have extended
terms would have expired. and who have
acquitted themselves creditably., 1t has not
been my purpose to extend clemency to
those who have deliberately embarked upon
career of vice, but to sift out such as
appear to have been in a sense accidental
criminals. Some of them. 1t is believed. were
list giving names of all persons to whom
executive clemency has been extended. and
my reasons therefor, is this day submitte
to your honorable body as provided by
statute.lI refer to the subject here as pre-
liminarN to the following suggestions and
recommendations. ! think additional legis-
encumllern the parole system with specific
restrictions think the chief executive
should have absolute authority to release
otIense than murder in the first degree,
and to return him to the penitentiary at his
discretion. The statutory provisions for
shorten.Lg the term because of good con-
duct should be so amended as to permit the
governor to declare the same forfeited in
case the conduct of the prisoner when on
parole is not satisfactory Each case is dis
tinct from all others, and no plan can be
formulated with sufficient elasticity to meet
the requirements of changed and ever
changing conditions, Under statutory pro
visions. as distinguished from free exercise
of an unrestrained discretion, it is rs easy
for the Intentionally vicious to earn release
as for those of honorable and virtuous in
have ever seen the penitentiary. This |
have not done, however, except upon the
recommendation of the trial judge and the
county attorney who prosecuted. There are
two quite distinct classes of criminals: the
one deliberately and permanently vicious.
the other to some extent the creature of
that will enable chief executive or a par
don board to discriminate wisely. Mistakes
will be made at best. but on the whole |
believe in the greatest possible discretion,
turned several to the penitentiary because
their early education was neglected. They
released would not seek or accept employ
ment. They are now in the tool factory at
Fort Madison acquiring what they should
have been taught in youth
Inc llNeSllSullOHS Ill;luc DN lue DufeHn
of labor statistics during the last biennium
are of great Importance, and the report will
be found interesting and valuable. More
than 300 factories We're Inspected and the
facts asccrtained and reported lead to the
belief that it would be well r. make all
needed provision for the inspection of the
nearly 15,GC0 other factories in the cities
and towns of Iowa, employing GO,OCO per-
sons The sanitary conditions of many of
the factories examined is well nigh alarm
Ing: and. think demand consideration by
this general assembly. The department
should be clothed with authority as ample
as the mine inspectors and it should he
made incumbent upon the commissioner to
protect employees from Inadequate heat and
dangerous machinery, and to enforce ade-
quate tire-escapes and wholesome sanitary
conditions.
The report shows that large number of
children. some as young as ten years of
age. are being employed in the factories of
Iowa. and the faces Of many of them tell
a sad story of overwork and over hours
The statutes of this state already prohibit
the employment of children under GER
tain age in coal mines. Why. not extend
restrictions as to their employment in
factories? IIealthful employment for limited
hours is beneficial. and l therefore do not
object so much to the f!ct Of child labor
as to its character and duration. There
Should ha nj leact thjnl. soma stot,,tor,,