Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-12-06
CONFERENCE OF GOVERNORS
They Talked Tuesday About the
Treatment of Criminals,

| Treatment of Criminals.
| Richmond, Va, Dec. 3.-The resto-
ration Of the whipping post for certain
classes Of criminals and sterilization
for others were advocated by Gov.
Baldwin Of Connecticut this after
noon in an address before the fifth an
nual governors conference which
opened here today. Gov. Baldwin's
address Immediately followed an ad-
dress by Gov. Shafroth Of Colorado, in
which Gov. Shafroth advocated lenient
but certain punishment for criminals
and cited his own state as an example
where this system has worked we'll.
Gov. Shafroth declared that severe
punishment had proved no deterrent
to crime. Certainty of punishment, in
his opinion, with an opportunity to
shorten sentence through labor and
good behavior not only punished the
criminal but served alike as a deter
rent against future crimes and an
incentive to reform.
He advocated the system in vogue
in Colorado, under which gangs of
fifty men worked without guards, save
at nights on the public roads, and ex-
pressed the hope that the time was
near when the state could do more
than this-pay the convict nominal
wage for the work he performed.
Gov. Donaghey of Arkansas declared
for a severe penalty for lynchers. No
punishment, save death, he said, would
deter murderers from their crime.
why, it's got to the pass" he de-
clared, where a man Is certain Of
punishment If he should steal horse,
but where, nine times out of ten, he is
able to go scott free II he commits
MURDER"
Every court Of appeals should be
abolished. In the opinion of Gov.
Eberhardt of Minnesota. The jury
system, he thought, was at the root of
the evil Of fraudulent miscarriages of
| justice. Nowadays, he declared, "a
man could plead guilty to fifty-seve
varieties of insanity and escape the
consequences Of his crime" Under the
present jury system, he added, 1t was
almost impossible to select intelligent
men for jury service,
II want to take off my hat to Vir-
ginia and to New York" said Gov.
Gilehrist Of Florida, for believe
they have done justice in their recent
murder cases. don't believe Henry
Clay Beattie could have been convict
ed in my state"
Gov. Cole L. Blease Of South Caro-
| lima served notice to the governors
| conference this afternoon, that lynch
in his state would go unpunished. Gov,
| Blease warmly defended his use Of the
pardoning power as we'll as declaring
that in twenty-five months he had
pardoned approximately 400 persons
and that he hoped the number at the
end Of the second term would be 500.
Gov. 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 penitentiary
of South Carolina" he said, "and found
it a tuberculosis institution where
poor devils were dying at their tasks,
making money for other people; poor
devils who had no choice but to stand
and work or take the lash. Just the
other day Jim Roberts. a negro from
Charleston, stopped me as was walk
ing through and respectfully asked
permission to speak to me. He told
me that he had been kept in jail for
twenty-five years for stealing a $27
watch.
Il said: If you are telling me the
truth you will eat your Christmas
dinner with your folks at home He
said, Governor, have no folks Then
1 replied, You will eat it away from
here" And he will. Another negro had
served eleven years and seven months
for stealing SO. A Judge wrote me that
he had sentenced to death man when
he did not believe the man had been
convicted beyond a reasonable doubt.
| AHOlHeT WTOle IIle llldl lie ScnlclCcu W
death a man who he did not believe
should be put to death. He did not be-
lieve it at the time, nor does he believe
1t now.
These are the errors Of injustice
am trying to right with my power to
pardon. 1 am proud of my record"
A letter from President ELECT Wilson
announcing regret at his inability to
attend. was read by Gov. O'Neal Of
Alabama,
During the forenoon session Gov.
Norris of Montana urged that the
conference be made permanent and
become vital force in moulding pub
lie opinion and shaping public poll
cies. Gov. McGovern of Wisconsin
replied that a committee had drawn
up plan for effecting this end, which
would be placed tomorrow before the
conference. Twenty governors are
| present