The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1908-06-18
"a CONVICT is CAPABLE OF
SUFFERING AND is A
HUMAN BEING.

HUMAN BEING.
But, my fellow citizens, when he
opened these discussions at Chatta-
nooga he said; 1T is all right to talk
about pardoning, but Governor, why
did you pardon so and 500" | have
good reason for pardoning every man
that | pardoned. and | am willing to
give it to Mr. Carmack, and l am will
ing for the people of Tennessee to
know why | have done it. was sur
prised. He told the people down
there that | was going to talk about
pardoning little boys, and he says,
Now get ready to cry making a
gibe and jest of the gravest and
most delicate responsibility that can
rest upon any Governor He said:
TO give a boy another chance in
life is no excuse whatever for giving
an able bodied professional thief an
other chance to steal. When you have
mastered your emotions, tell me why
you pardoned such a notorious pro-
fessional criminal as Ernest Minor,
who was sent to the penitentiary for
highway robbery from Knox County,
who made his escape and went right
back to his old trade and was again
convicted and sent up for five rob
berries, was pardoned by Gov. Pat
tersOn and Immediately resumed his
business Of burglary and highway
robbery and who is now once more
in the penitentiary waiting for a par
don. He is no minor; and no con
sumptive; he is just an able-bodied,
hardened, desperate, and professional
criminal"
1t seems that that poor fellow, aft
er | pardoned him got into trouble
here again, and | am charged with
that. l am being charged with what
Legislatures do or not do, what other
gentlemen do or do not do, and for
what prisoners do or do not do.
pardoned Ernest lawfully, upon the
recommendation of the judge, of the
Attorney General and the Board of
Pardons, and upon a certificate OF the
prison physician that Ernest Minor
had tuberculosis, ernest Minor died
on June End, 1908, with consumption
That was the record. And the others
If it was interesting to the people
here | could explain the same way,
and | will explain them. 1t is a grave
matter, this question Of pardoning. A
Governor may make mistakes. |
expect | have. Unlike Mr.. Carmack
| don't claim infallibility for myself.
| am mortal. 1t is the natural de-
sire of every human being to help
those in distress, AND 1T DOESN'T
TAKE AWAY A MANS HUMANITY
TO BE THE GOVERNOR OF TEN
NESSEE. | have had one or two
reforms to suggest in regard to the
punishment and time. One of these
is that | believe these coal miners
should receive more good time than
those at the main prison, and yet NO
distinction whatever is made. Life
in the main prison is comparatively
easy to what it is in the coal mines
| have been there, my fellow citizens
and have gone with the conVicts them
selves three and three-quarters miles
into the bowels Of the earth until the
tunnel was no wider than that illus
trating), and there | have seen the
convict, on his side, with his pick
picking away drearily, hourly. This
goes on day by day. These Goa
miners go into these mines before i
is light in the morning. They do no
emerge until it is dark in the evening
and they have little torches in thei
caps in order to light their way, anC
yet the Legislature has not givel
them any more good time than tn,
men in the main prison. | believ'
that the true end of government i
to help those who cannot help them
, selves, and l believe that the Stat
of Tennessee should not forget tina
while she is coming the sweat an
blood and lives Of these poor cor
yicts into money that at least the
are human beings, capable of suffer
ing and of death. (Applause.)
! Another thing | believe, and that
! whenever a man is to be capital
punished, he should be removed fror
/ the local environment, away from tn
e county and the county seat, becaus
I a pail of horror rests over the con
: munity-men and women talk abou
n nothing but that. l believe that the
/ should be quietly taken to the mai
o prison at Nashville, away from tn
e scene of the crime, away from tn
0 people, and there executed in tt
a very strictest privacy.
My fellow citizens, | have exercise
the pardoning power very freely.
am not ashamed of it, | never pa
L doned a man in my life that was Mt
< glad that pardoned HIM. And l VIZ
u never applied to for a pardon in n
It life from those in distress that l W;
1t not sorry that | could not see my VIZ
s. clear to grant it. AS Governor
n this State | have had the lives
E. twelve men in my keeping at OF
IL time. l could have said live, al
re they would have lived; | could ha'
ID said die and they would have die
at When you were talking about tn
r. litt1o ErDnct Minor naca rnpnn1 m on