Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1904-01-21

office without complying with this re-
| quest. The present Auditor, Mr.. b. +.
| Carroll, was requested by the Execu-
| tive Council to correspond with the
| insurance companies that had been
doing business in Iowa, and discover,
| IL possible, when and by whom ex-
aminations had been made, and what
| had been charged for them. He pre-
pared blanks for this purpose, and l
now have the result OF his investiga-
ton / summarize it as follows:
Examinations made "a few
In Iowa. ................l lo'
Charged for examinations $23, 267.03
No man should be judged without
hearing, and these men have had
no hearing. 1t may lie that they can
| explain what they have done 80 that
all adverse criticism will be unwar-
ranted. I think II is your duty to
give them an opcrtunity to do SO!
| Upon the face OF the papers that
have, and upon the information that
/ have received, 1t appears that many
of these examinations were. not IN
good faith, were without vaiue, and
that the farce was enacted for no
other purpose than to collect money
which had not been earned. 1t seems,
for the ex psrte inquiry that We have
been able to make. that nearly all the
insurance companies paid what was
demanded Of them, simply because
they knew that the Auditor held
power which he could exercise to their
injury. 1t Is due to these men, as
| we'll as to the reputation OF the CON-
monwealth that these matters be in
vestigated by a committee having au-
thority TO ascertain the whole truth;
and If 1t be found that the power OF
the State of Iowa has been used by
unworthy officers to coerce payments
for which no honest service was rem
dered, | recommend the reimburse
ment Of the same SO uujustly exacted.
To make my recommendation COM
! plete upon the matter Of fees being
made payable directly to the treasury.
! suggest that the law relating to
! the Pharmacy Commission, the Bank
Examiners, the Oil inspectors, the
! Dental Board, the Veterinary Board.
! and all other boards, commissions,
! and offices with which the contrary
! practice prevails, should be changed
so as to require payment OF fees as
above indicated.
Punishment for crimes-Pardons ahe
Paroles.
! A detailed statement Of all pardons
and suspension of sentences, other
wise known as paroles, is submitted
herewith, as required by law. During
the two years Of my term, l have re-
leased, upon absolute pardon. six
prisoners, not including the seven
conditional pardons issued upon the
recommendation of the Twenty-ninth
General Assembly. l have, in the
same time, released from penitenti-
aries, jails, and industrial schools,
one hundred and forty-three prisoners
upon suspensions of sentences. OF
the paroled prisoners, have re-
turned nineteen to Imprisonment for
violation of the terms OF parole. OF
which fourteen had been paroled by
! my predecessors; of the remaining
one hundred and thirty-seven, it
gives me pleasure to say that substan-
TALLY all of them ere living uprightly,
and give promise of enduring refer
nation.
OF parcled prisoners, have re-
stored sixty-Cight to complete citizen
ship upon a showing of worthiness.
| have not done this, however, in any
case, save one or two exceptional in
stances, until the period for which
, the sentence was imposed had passed,
and generally not until a considerable
| tire thereafter.
Having thus stated the essential
irn m e. n n Tfnny ont
the general subject of paroles. The
rule by which l have been guided in
the main, is this: If prisoner could
show a good life prior to the com
mission of the offense, and the cir
cumstances indicated that the crime
was what may be termed an acciden
tai, incidental, and solitary one, and
did not proceed from criminal habit
and IL upon full investigation there
seemed to be probability OF reform
and q law-abiding life, | have inclined
toward giving such prisoner {
. chance to become a respectable, self
supporting member of society. NJ.
experience has deepened my convic
ton that the parole system ought t,
be preserved, but in so saying. | an
quite conscious that 1t ought also t
, be perfected.
Assuming that the discretion, whicl
3 must be reposed somewhere, Is prop
v erly exercised, the system has on
serious defect. Whenever a prisone
y is paroled, there Is an interference
Y with the Judgment of the court. Tn
h power of the Governor overrides tn
n sentences of the judge. There is thu
W mi anil
II tends to impair the confidence of tn
/. people in the administration of erin
It inal law, and begets a feeling thu
a. the sentence Of judge is not to
,r feared. A philosophical analysis
Of the exercise of the powers, remove
le any such apparent collision, but tt
il, people reason upon broad lines, ar
ts | know that the sentiment, which
ir have endeavored to express, exist
Or 1t seems to me, therefore, that tn
es apparent antagonism should be r
u moved. believe that the paro
u. should be consistent with the exec
IN ton of the sentence imposed by Il
ed court, indeed, should carry out t
N sentence. To accomplish this, 1t
ad evident that some phase Of the Pill
ia of indeterminate sentences should
r. adopted, and earnestly hope tn
rs. you will give the subject the ate
de ton which its Importance demand
he and so amend our law that a prison
M may bes paroled without seeming
Ia strike down the Judgment of t
en- court which imposed the sentence
lat do not believe that board of p;
lid dons is necessary. So long as t
en- Governor Is required, under the &C
'or stitution, to take the responsibility