The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1911-06-01
THE PARDON OF THE RICH

CefIaln newspapers Oh One country
are harping loud about the fact that
President Taft refused to grant par
don to Morse and Walsh, the convict
ed bankers, and that therby he dem
onstrated his independence and that
he was not under the influence of
money. So far as we know, the pres
ident has not been accused of corrup-
tion or pandering to plutocracy for the
crumbs that fall from their tables, and
until these hangers on, these followers
of the camp, these feeders at the pub
lie trough who are ever saying some
thing out of aduIation and flatters to
those in power accompanied always
with request for more pie; until it
arose in this way, the question was
not before the house, 1t is of course,
to be presumed that the presidential
sense of propriety is such that he will
resent the cheap attempt to make a
point out of his refusal to grant Glenn
ency to convicted bankers merely up
on the ground that he wished to dem
onstrate bis freedom from theinfiuence
of wealth and the lure of pleasing men
of gold. A pardon and the pardoning
power is sacred thing, high prero-
gative of official power 1t should not
be withheld from the lowly and friend
less because they labor under the twin
bondage of iron fortune and obscure
birth, with none 10 plead their cause
and no favorite to speak their name.
Neither should it be granted to the un-
worthy though they have boarded
gold and vast possession, friends of
great induence and family lineage
royal in the richness of it's blue blood.
But it certainly must be admitted that
it would be as indefensible to refuse
pardon TO convicted banker if his
case was meritorious, merely to have it
said he withstood the approaches of
the rich, as if it were granted as a
maere favor to the mighty. Every
case should stand on its own merits,
rich or poor, black or white, high or
low; and it is as much the duty of one
clothed with the power of clemency to
investigate and act on his own initia-
tive, as in cases where great pressure
is brought to bear.
Human punishment is an institution
with which man should deal with
reat conservatism and caution. In
he name of the good of society no
man should be utterly destroyed if
there If any good left in him, if he still
is capable of rendering service. 1t is
certain and swift punishment that
should obtain, and not the slow grind
ng processes of vengeance and destruc-
ton. If a mans pride has been hum
bled, if he has been made to taste the
bitter fruits of sin and violated law, if
he has felt the sting of certain and in
evitable punishment, then, if it appear
he is not menace to society, or has
left in him any of the elements OF good,
or if brief lesson of the consequences
of violations has sobered the hayward
TO where they will profit thereby and
turn unto better ways and better
things, by all means let such man go
free. Hope springs eternal in the hui
man heart, and sustains the man in |
his hour of travail and the soreness of
spirit, but do not by oppression crush
out this perennial flower and leave a
soul less human form to groupe in
darkness and die. Many a man has
fallen aud stepped aside, and yet under
proper influences again taken up the
fight to win great victory.
Let us take the case of Morse. He
risked too much when business was at
food tide, and when the panic came
his house fell into ruins and bankrupt
cy overlook his business ventures. He
made a great fight to ward off the ine-
vitable, and while making the fight for
liberty he also made afight to restore
back to those who had lost by leaning
upon him. II is said he paid back ev-
cry cent, and then went to prison.