Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1912-12-04
Governor Blease Declares at
Conference of State Execu-
tives That He Has and viii
Use Pardon Power Freely
DRASTIC PROVISION
PROPOSED BY BALDWIN
Connecticut Statesman Be-
|ieves Men Guilty of Crimes
Against Women Should be
Effectually Curbed by Law,
NV Manning Journal Special Lens,h Wire

ny Morning Journal Special Lensed WireA
Richmond, Va, Dec. 3.--ln the
name of the state of South Carolina.
Governor Blcase served notice to the
governors conference here today that
lynchers OF negro assailants of white
women in his state would go unpun-
ishcd.
Governor Blcase warmly defended
his use Of pardoning power as well as
declaring that in twenty-five months
he had pardoned or paroled approxi-
mately 400 persons. and that he hoped
the number at the end of the second
term would be 500.
Il have sand all over South Carolina
and say it again now,' he declared,
that | viii never order out the mi
llt'a to shoot down their neighbors
and protect Il black brute who COM
mits the namelcss crime against a
white woman.
Therefore, In South Carolina let It
be understood. that when a negro as
saults Il white woman. all that rs
needed is that they get the right man
and they who get him, wllle neither
need nor receive Il trial"
Governor Blease justified the use
he had made of his pardoning power
he said, by conditions he had found
in penal institutions in the state.
Il walked through the penitcntiary
of South Carolina he said. "and
found il Il tuberculosis incubator,
where poor devils were dying at their
tasks. making money for other peo-
pie: poor devils who had no choicc
but to stand and work or take the
lash. Just the other day Jim Roberts,
ii negro from Charleston. stopped me
as | was walking through and re-
spectfully asked permission to speak
to me. He told me that he had been
kept In Jail twenty-five years for
stealing a s27 watch.
II said If you are telling me the
truth, you will eat your Christmas
dinner with your folk at home He
said. Governor. | have no folk.
"Then, | replied, you will eat II
away from here. And he will. An
other negro had served eleven years
and seven months for stealing 50; a
Judge wrote to me that he had sem
fenced to death man when he did
not believe the man had been convict
ed beyond reasonable doubt. An
other wrote me that he had sentenced
to death a man whom he did not be-
lieved should be put to death He ala
not believe il at the time, nor does he
believe II now.
These are the errors or justice l
am trying to right with my power
of pardon. | am proud Of my record
Flogging. in some cases for en- i
dren; the whipping post for violators
of certain laws and sterilization oi
assailants Of women. were advocated
bv Governor Baldwin. Of Connecticut,
in an address delivered this afternoon
before the governors conference mere
In his speech Governor BALDWIN ue-
clared that ne was more IN sympathy
with the "classcal school OF pehoi-
ogy." than the new or noiser oh"'
mu'nlv made of sentimental humani-
tarians or theoretical psychologists
The former school, he said. MAIN
tains that criminals should ordinar-
ik be punished by sublection to some
form OF suffering: the other That they
should ordinarily not be made 10 SUI p
fer for their misdeeds except as ma
tprr forces 1t upon then thrpuBh lne
mind. hut that their treatment bN tht
state. should be aimed pr narliN ~
their moral Improvement
There are crimes OF whlch one Ss,-
don, speaks" Governor Baldwin said.
ats very name has come 10 pe "a.'-
ished from our newspapers. Yet the
thought OF IT is a daily terror 10
svcry woman in the south and brings
i sense of uneasiness and constralhl
into the life of her northern sisters.
II is the cause OF most ol lhoA" Nn'i,-
mo cases which disgraccd our clNli'-
zation. II is 10 be kept down oniN ny
the severest methods.
1T is too much To say " the courts
are not ready to apply these, the p'"-
ple will The people VINO may 'hus
tta
not be the best people IN the coininu-
MY Thev may occasionally seize the
tVrnnp man. But has conviction ever
vel been had in the United states oi
my one Of "A mob of lynchcrs lpf
hanging "a negro accused OF rape
..That CRIME does wrong 10 "A "o-
man which many OF them nave deem
cd worse than death. such man "
not fit subject for an indctcrmin"te
sentence. lie has proved MS inhertnl
weakness of will power. IN every r"''
care Of rape. in my Judgment IL
should bc an operation OF sterip%"-
ton s.,,.,.
Governor fIaidwiu's address loli"W
cd an address by Governor Shafrotn'
of colorado. in which Governor Sha
froth advo6 atcd ienient. but certain
minis hn.nt to criminals and cted ms
ovu state ns an example where TINS
system has worked we'll
Governor Shafroth declared tnat
s.vero punishment had proved no de-
terrent to crime. Certainty OF pun sh-
ment. In his opinion. with an oppor-
tunitv to shorten the sentence thronsh
labor and good behavior. not "li's
n,tnished the criminal. but serNed'
alike ~ n deterrent against future
crimes and as an incentive TO reform
He advocated the system in vogue ~
under which gangs OF ffty
men worked without guards, save az
nights. on the public roads and ex-
pressed the hope that the time was
near when the state could do more
than this, and pay the convict a nom.