The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-28

+, pecrs said that he should spend his
life in tho penitcntiary--a sentence
none too light-hut Blcase. In the
heavy role OF the chief purdoner. wills
that this man shall go free and wan
monument 10 the Kindness and polite
ness shown IL wife murderer in
| South Carolina. Murdercrs. burglars.
incendiarics. thieves. gun men. drunk
| ards and ccond-story men have been
! looscd by BlcaSc to inspire the people
! of the state with respect for Justice
ana order ana &c encourage them to
t uphold the law OF the land. Convicted
! criminals go back TO their commune
ties TO laugh in tha faces OF Just
judges and conscientious iuryme,,. and.
| incidentally TO vote for l;lcnsc.
That was what tho Governor OF the
state OF South Carolina did as Christ
mas Eift 10 criminals. In striking and
, significant contrast stands out tile re-
fusai OF Governor Mann. OF this Com
monwcalth. to pardon any convict ON
Christmas day. This is a law-abi,lins
state. wherein the hcorlc believe in
the law and choose magistrates who
will exercise their authority on tho
side of justice. Governor please
thinks that it is the function of the
chief executive to rfhear and retry
cases: Governor Mann does not EN-
treme i'll health is practically the only
consideration which now moves Gov
crnor Mann in setting free a convict.
Governor Bleasc freely pardons a man
who shot his wife as she lay III her
bed: Governor Mann refuses to pardon
wife murdcrcrs
There is a vast chasm between tie
law as it is administered in South
Carolina and the law as it is admits
tered in Virginia Judges and iur!cs
here arc swiftcr aud more severe than
they arc in South Carolina. and the
chief executive Of Virginia would
never dream of freeing conv'cts
wholesale as this man Blcaso has done.
In South Carolina. criminals on whose
hands the damned spot" will no, out,
walk abroad with proud carriage: in
Virginia. they die in the chair or spcnd
their lives in prison cells In South
Carolina. the pardouing power is used
in such way that il is not'cxcmpIary,
in Virginia, It is. Crime is cncourac-
cd In South Carolina when almost
every day infamous lawbreakcra are
freed. while in Virginia the minimum
use of executive clemency is Il whole. !
some deterrent to would be criminals. I,
In the final analysis, people alone I
arc responsible for the administration
OF justice. The law-abiding people of
Virginia would not and could not elect
q man to the Governors chair who
would abuse the pardoning power but
the people OF South Carolina are not
so careful as TO their choice. Once in I
South Carolina the law was a thing
sacred-in those days McDuftc, Haync!
and Hampton sat in the Governors
chair--but the times have changed and
the Governors with them The ad
of justice in South Caro-.
INA is shame and rcproaoh upon the
South and the nation. but whether the
people OF that ancient State will de-
80 us sNt'-Ho"ihS cornucopid OF
pa rdons by their votes next summer
seems doubtful thing
Justice is swift and terrible in vir-
sinia, and the law is a luminous. Nv
ng thing. II is so, because Virginians
are law biding and a law fearing
people and because they will elect
1one but high and honorable men as
heir magistrates. There was day
When the righteous were in authority
n South Carolina. and for return Of,
hat era its people may well and fer
emily pray.