The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1903-12-03
Judge Towner Talks Of pardons.

Il
81 don't know that the situation calls
for any remarks on the subject OF par !
dons' said Judge H. M. Towner to the
Mt Ayr News man this week, "Yet since
you have asked me to give you my views
1 shall be glad to say what think. I'm
questionably the pardoning power is
often misused, tho at the present time
we of the state of lows have reason to
be thankful that Governor Cummins
displays such prudence and restraint in
the exercise of power vested in his Of
cisms at present official conditions that
/ express my belief that the pardoning
power should be vested in board APP
pointed for that purpose instead of in
the governor, who has so much else to
look after, and who never is chosen
with any reference to his fitness for
exercising that power. l would place
the pardoning power in the hands OF a
boardsof say five eminent lawyers, OF
whom not more than three should be
members of any one political party.
They should be selected on the basis of
character and judicial qualifications, not
with any reference to past political SER
vices. I would have them meet three
or four times year, drawing pay only
per diem and mileage. Every scrap Of
evidence submitted to them should be in
writing, which would do away with the
present evil of delegations coming to
exert social or political influence. The
board system is employed in a number
of other states, and as am informed
works we'll. OF course the final author
ity is with the governor, but in pratice
, he scarcely ever goes behind the rec
| ommendation of pardon board which
is in good repute.
"No legal provisions will remedy the
mistakes which grow out of the nature
/. of men. So long as people are swept
away with every impulse to ask courts
for leniency and governors for pardon
it in behalf Of criminals, so long will
= courts and governors be in some de
y gree influenced to favor them. l re
member that on one occasion where
: man had been plainly convicted of
: series of grave crimes, pretty nearl.
+ the whole population, out of regard O
! his own worthy family, signed a pape
praying for leniency. They were all il
the court room to hear me pass sen
tence, and | talked more severely t.
\ them THAN to the prisoner. For 81
q months afterwards l had stead.
n stream of people from that communit,
). saying to me that they had been carrie
:, away from their common sense mooring
! by current of sympathy.
| ga board of pardons would be goo
| thing. Until we get it, men who's
j sympathies do not run away with the
common sense will be needed as judge
and governors. AS permanent SAT-
guard, my favorite plan is the indetel
j inmate sentence, which has worked we
i wherever tried. Practice has prove
that where governors or pardon boarc
II are bcseiged by the friends of prisoner
| in states where the indeterminate SCI
| tence system is in effect the office
always have sufficient answer (unle
an innocent man has been mistaken
convicte1 in saying, 1.-The prisoners h;
l his fate in his own hands. Just in pr
portion to the evidence he gives
! being fit for freedom he shortens hi
sentence"
All men who give their thought to t
STYLES welcome streaks in the weathe