The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1909-04-09


cuainted in the state. had conslderd'
bile difficulty in giving bond for theil
annearance. If we had some s'a'u
tory arrangement by which a delenu-
ant could give a cash bond 10 NC u
nosited with the sheriff, or SucD o
cer rs NAV be designated, ana pi''
inc for the payment of the money II
case of default. without long sun
certainly would be a piece OF les'''''
ton TO be desired.
am fully persuaded of the over
wbeIming. imperative and aOSoi"
necessity that the provisions Vi
tiors 2556 and 344S, General statutes
oe FLORIDA as amended, insofar d.
they undertake to give re"alu
tho nerson furnishing the testllllon!
,,,or which the conviction is secureu'
sbor1d no repealed. This is product
I've of so much evil. nave
vonng boys. ten and fourteen Eeai
old who had perjured themselves t.
sort to all sorts of schemes ana colii
binations. in order TO secure 'e'''
,,,orv for . conviction TO get the Te
ward and were thereby put III the
most delicate and unfortunate posf
+iop and in some cases aided by thelr
rarants in order that they would get
. reward consequent upon the COZ
yiction OF some poor old negro HUM
whom they had bought ten cents
worth of blind tiger liquor. IL Is
torptation TOO great to commit per-
Jury. A premium on perjury oli,
icere enter into combinations WIN
outside narties. Jurors look Win
suspicion upon the testimony Oh oil
Witnesses whenever the question ol
reward is preached. and in almost eV-
arv case the defendant asks the VII
ness if he is acquainted WITH OF
knows. or expects the reward OF Soo
/ in case of conviction of the accused.
No matter how fair and just the VII
mess NAV be. the very fact that such
q statute exists casts discredit upon
the testimony Of the witness, and Ju-
rors time and again in my experience
have failed and refused to convict
fearing that witnesses were influenc-
ed bv this statute. 1t is demoralizing'
fails to advance the cause of temper
ance. and think it is a blot upon
the fair name of the state Of Florida,
and should be repealed at once.
l would further call your attention
Ito the fact that the further provision
Of section 344S is unintelligible. ana
If it really passed the legislature in
the form that it is printed in the acts.
II believe it is unconstitutional. The
provision as to punishment is as fol
lows:
"* be fined in a sum not
more than one thousand dollars, or
be imprisoned in the county Jail for
more than six months, and the cost
and expense of the prosecution and
= conviction" etc.
You will note that it says, be i'm
prisoned in the county Jail for more
T. than six months" Evidently they
have left out the word not after
the words, county Jail" but it is at
least worthy of some investigation
Pardoning Board
In my judgment some limitation
should be put upon the acts of the par
doning board of the state of Florida
Certainly the indiscriminate, or ap
: parently indiscriminate, pardOning
of cOnvicts has had a great tendency
to demOralize the people of this state
l do not undertake now to review in
D stances in which men who have beer
= convicted of the most heinous offens
) es have been pardoned, TO the uttel
decentralization of communities. mel
j. who were offensive criminals and ;
z menace to decency and society, hav,
ben pardoned after a very short De
L riOd of Imprisonment | know tina
e men sign petitions to the pardonin.
e BOARD because they are persuade,
y and begged by friends of the convict
e and do not take the stand that citi
zens should take in such matters; Blu
IN my judgment, if the state of Flor
S ida were represented before the par
/ dOning board by the states attorne,
n in the circuit or district in which tn,
J. applicant was convicted, it woul
II have the effect of bringing out tn
e true state of feeling and condition
/ and at least give the pardoning boar
IL an opportunity to know and hear bot
e sides
/ 1t has become so universal an,
. common now to give a pardon that
{ know of men, while they were bein,
L tried, feeling sure that a convictio,
would follow, and before the verdic