Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1909-09-18
COMP AIRING GOVERNORS
PARDON NE I HODS
Brown PardOnS After PriS-
on Commission Acts.

Atlanta, Ga, Sept. l1.-In view oil
the fact that some criticism has been
made of Governor Brown for paroling
seven convicts in one day, an inyesti-
cation of the records and the result
thereof may be of some advantage to
the people of Georgia in the way of
information. Particularly is this the
case when the source from which this
criticism arises is considered.
1t would take a long time to hunt
up in the records the pardons which
a recent governor issued and more
space than any paper could spare to
show the result of the investigation
when it was made Consequently, the
month of June, the last that the late
chief executive was in office. will be
considered
During this month seventy pardons
were issued by executive order OF
these forty-eight had never been con-
sidered by the prison commission at
all. Four had been considered by the
prison commission, and, after careful
investigation, clemency of any sort had
been declined
Take few details: On June 8, two
pardons wer issued; June 5, "a; June
II, 2; June 10, /; June 81, 2; June %,
2; June %, 8: June "a, June rs, 8;
June 26, 10. This is the record number
of pardons for any one month of a
governor in office.
OF the twenty-four instances of ex-
ecutive clemency on June 5, not one
was recommended by the prison COM
mission. Twelve of these convicts
were under life sentence for murder.
Two were manslaughter conyicts. The
day before the former governor left
office he let loose nine convicts, four
of them over the protest of the prison
commission, which had made due and
careful investigation of the merits of
each case. On the Goth, the day he
relinquished his office, he let go ten,
which had not been submitted to the
prison commission at all.
In using the term pardon in con-
nection with these cases, it needs be
explained probably to those who may
not know that no pardons were issued
by the then governor to negro con-
victs, he being opposed to restoring
them to citizenship. In their cases
there was Communication to present
service. The result, however, so far
as the public was concerned was the
same. They were all let loose, gener-
ally upon the neighborhood in which
the crime was committed, without any
consultation with the people of said
neighborhood, and sometimes over
their protest
What has been the result? A num-
Der of the convicts that the former
governor paroled have since been re-
manded to the penitentiary on com
plant of the people of the communi-
ties affected. Several of those he par
doned have bee9 arrested for serious
offenses. In fact, scarcely day pass
es, but the present administration re-
ceives some complaint of the conduct
of these convicts let loose upon the
people.
Among the judges who have resen-
fenced for crimes committed since
their pardon the former governors
released convicts is Judge RevelL of
Meriwether county.
Now contrast with these cases the
paroled conyicts of Gov. Brown about
which criticism has been made. BY
way of preface, it may be stated that
Gov. Browns rule in releasing any
convict, is first to consult the senti-
ment of the community upon which
the convict is likely to be released
Wherever possible he gets into COM
munication with the trial Judge, the
solicitor, and the jury and hears what
they have to say about it. In not two
per cent of the releases of June al
luded to above were these officials
consulted. In the majority of cases
no one in the communities concerned
was consulted.
On Saturday last, Gov Brown pa
rolled (not pardoned or committed, un-
derstanO seven convicts, for which
action he has been criticised. Every
one of these cases had been investi-
gated thoroughly by the prison COM
mission, the investigation extending