The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1908-12-25
Pardoning
Board Be Condemned
Al Eloquent Plea fOr Mercy On Behalf
Of TIE Prisoners Of tie State
By Toe King.


lowed day, the birthday Of the Prince
0fsMercy, that we reproduce the fol-
lowing eloquent appeal on behalf Of the
prisoners Of the State:
Should the Pardoning Board be com
demned7 Has It exceeded the purpose
Tor which 1t was established Much
has been written lately cOndemnatOry Of
its acts, and It may be well 70 consider
the matter in the light Of reason and
facts. IL cannot be denied that the
prison life Of Florida is all that Dante
or Milton have pictured of the lost, en-
bOdying only two Of the three princi-
pies Of punishment, viz: mitigation of
the offense and the perpetuity of fear
IN the mind Of the would-be criminal.
So horrible and so pathetic. so revolving
TO the sense Of humanity is the misera-
BILE existence Of q felon Of our State
that the heart grows sick in the con-
temptation. We met, while looking over
timber lands near Minneola, an old white
man, prisoner, a man of brilliant
mind, and noting from his polished man.
ners, q man Of education and better
days. This poor wretch, in the very
eveningOf life, sick and decrepit, was
bartered out by the State to do manual
labor on the turpentine farm.
He told US the story of his life-Of his
bOyhOOd days, his old companion and his
children, and how poverty had forced
him TO do wrong. The voice was weak
and broken, and as the gray-haired sire
turned aside to look through some old
papers and photographs, the feeble,
Bhsmbling movement sent thrill to my
heart can never forget. He read TO
Us q quantity of verses Of his own com.
position, and it was all the philosophy
Of pathOs, regrets, tears and heart
aches. Up to this time the old man had
apparently been stOical, austere and I'M
feeling. seemingly resigned to his fate;
but now we note q change; reaching
down in some particular corner of the
old and worn valise he brought out an
ld-fashioned daguerreOtype, q faded
bieture. It was the photograph Of a
woman, the likeness Of his wife in her
younger days. The shruaken, bony
hand trembled as the little treasure was
handed out and the eyesweFe moistened;
there was q twitching of the chin and
bps, but no word was uttered. Solemnly
and silently we looked upon that pic
ture; the heart welled up and we could
not speak,
Il was only a faded picture, but it
was the idol Of his heart. There lin
gered yet about the little mementO the
angel-memOry of the past; we could see
in the discOlored and Bonded plate the
phantom Of home, sweet home, the fire
sIde with papa and the children in
prayer at mothers knee. The turpen-
tine people were paying the State for
bis services. Il was not q matter Of
charity with them, but q question of
business. II Is true, the prisoner waA
old and feeble, but that was no reason
why the turpeptine company should not
have proper service for the money paid
20 the State. Business Is not q chari- /
table Institution; business is not ex-
pected 20 consider the frailty and in
trinity OF age, nor the tender Benti-
menta Of hfe. Business. according 70 a
noted authority Of Jacksonville, Is de- |
void Of sentiment; It Is cold-blOoded. IL !
was the inevitable 10 the aged prisoner. |
He had 70 work, labor and drag his |
emaciated form over the rough and
tangled wood, bearing the burden Of |
the turpentine bucket or chipping the |
streaks. We see him pause meath the |
inviting shade of friendly bouRh; he |
Is 50 tired and fatigued, and with an |
uncleanly rag be brushes from bis face |
the sweat and CRIME Of toll.
He is faint and worn, and his whole /
nature would succumb 20 the Opiate Of /
rest, the cooling breeze, the shade from
the burning sun; bat the eye Of the
ever-yigilant convict guard is upon him,
and IA that ominous look Is the Bpecter
Of confinement on bread and water, OF
the Iash Of the whipping captain. With
almost superhumah effort the old man
arolSes from the torpoF, and turning his
piaintive gaze from The stern and unre-
lentlng face Of the guard moves on 70
bis taak.
We have heard nothing from him
since we were there. We DO not think
be Was pardoned, for he had no hope,
nor even expected 20 live his sentence
out. Il has been about four years now,
and We can hardly believe that the en-
oers Of that dying ere could have sur
viyed the shock Of 50 long , time Of
misery, The Pardoning Board know Off
lhe harsh and terrible dispenBation al
Stats prison life, the system Of leaaf
he he'll The inferno az the cOne
camp, and shall We eennure them
,ause they are piteous, bacause the'
lumanef Would not, and uhOO
% teartuI q condition m8QnilF
lerta Of an application Tor pn
NoRE nuntf NF
~ mercy. the mt.t
'ne mind. p apr