Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1912-12-16
PLAYING TO THE GALLERY.


appeared in the press for years the
effusion of crocodile tears with
which Oswald West, governor of Or
egon, gave out an interview regard
ing the hanging of the four murder
ers at Salem, Friday, is the most
nauseating. The law now and always
has placed in the hands of the gov
ernor of the state the right to par
don or commute the sentences of
condemned murderers.
The fact that the people of Oregon
were given an opportunity to vote
on the abolition of capital punish
ment has no more bearing on the
rights, privileges or duties of Gov
ernor West in respect to those con-
demned men than has an eclipse of
the moon.
According to newspaper reports:
Meanwhile West was at the cap
itol having it out with friends and
foes of capital punishment The at
torneys of Morgan did not give up
hope of reprieve until the last mo-
ment.
Every good movement to sue
ceed, said the governor, his face as
white as paper, his eyes burning in
their sunken sockets, must have a
yellow dog for its foes to kick. I'm
that dog. Hanging is all wrong. 1t
is a medieval, barbarous practice.
But the people of this state last
month voted against the abolition
of capital punishment. In letting
these men hang l am obeying the
mandate of the people. They asked
for this. Well, out at the prison at
this moment they are having
bloody feast
But, Mr.. Governor cried an at
torney, Morgan did not commit this
crime. He didn't get a fair trial.
He never had day in court or
chance to tell the story
The governor rose, wearily. I
believe you. l believe Morgan didn't
kill York with generalization. All
the more reason why he should die
today. If reprieve him now, know,
l tell you | know that the movement
to abolish hanging will be delayed
for years.
'Crucify Them, Cruelty Them"
THE lawyer rose, too, and would
have argued longer, but the governor
checked him with a gesture.
Morgan did not kill York with
premeditation,' he repeated. But
we will kill Morgan with premidtta-
ton. We will strangle him with
Garrison and Roberts and Faulder.
The people clamored for the lives of
these men. They cried out, Cruelty
them! Cruelty them.' "
with tears in his eyes, but with
a sneering curl at the corners of his
mouth, he concluded the interview:
1T would be unfair to our invited
guests, who have looked forward
with so much pleasure to this event,
TO rob them of a single item on the
program"
The action of the people of Oregon
neither increased nor diminished
Governor Vests responsibility in
connection with these men. Under
the constitution it is and was his
duty to act as committing or pardon
ing power in these cases, and if Gov
ernor West was satisfied that Nor
gan did not premeditatedly kill York
it was his duty months ago to have
commuted his sentence. Why did he
not do SO? Was it to center public
attention throughout the nation on
himself and create a demand for his
services on the Chautauqua plat
forms? If he knew Morgan was not
guilty of premeditated murder and
yet ordered him hung, was not Os-
wald West the murderer? The peo-
pie OF oregon in 1910 voted to place
the protection of these men in the
hands of Oswald West when they
elected him governor Because they
refused to take that matter out of
his hands there is no reason why he
should have caused Morgans death
in what appears either childish pique
or desire for prominence as a reform
governor If any man was ever his
brothers keeper Oswald West was
keeper of the lives of those con-
demned men, and if the reports OF
his words Friday regarding Morgan
are true he proved false to his trust