The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1912-10-03
Thursday. October 3. 1912.
HAwLEY ON LAW ENFORCEMENT

bhtVi SStcu III the record OF governor
Hawley should investigate before No
vembre 5th that gentlemens position
on the pardoning board. Twin Falls
county has opportunity to know some
thing of the activity of the governor
who freed Oscar Salmarc OF this
county and of the claim made by the
governor that Salmarc should never
have been sent to the penitentiary II
Is only specimen of the unusual
number OF pardons which have been
made by the present administration.
Murderers and thieves have been let
off from imprisonment too light even
under full time, and the attitude of
the pardoning board has done much to
undermine the Influence of the Idaho
courts. Salmarc of this county should
never have been freed. and his pardon
or parole was made AGAINST THE
WISHES OF EVERY SINGLE MEM
Der OF THE TWIN FALLS COUN-
TY BAR. His trial was fought
out and he was given every legal aid
known and In the trial conviction
was made based upon the evidence and
the opinions of twelve intelligent jur-
ors. His sentence was not considered
BY any person in this county as too
heavy for the crime committed Yet
Governor Hawley having no direct
knowledge of the case, saw fit to loose
such man from just Imprisonment
after q years incarceration and thus
say to the people OF this county that
their justice meted out was In fault.
An attitude like this from man who
claims to hold the laws of the state
sacred gives pretty good indication of
his contempt for anything but his own
sweet way.-Twin Falls Times.
The above Is cited as a gentle re-
minder that Gov. Hawley is still car
rying on his bull-headed "by the
eternal or bust" policy In other sec
tions OF the state the same as he
has In Idaho county. A year ago the
first OF last month the governor in
his characteristic style undertook to
read the riot act to the sheriff of
this county, his deputies and iailors
and to District Judge Steele, over a
tragedy which took place in our coun-
ty Jail. He at once jumped to the
conclusion that he knew all about
the occurrence far better than the
raffinnpu an tha orx,,nd a,I ,h - re..l {
~ took upon himself the duty of
regulating the sheriffs office by d.
recting that the jailors, whom he
denounced as either towards or
criminals" be discharged; and also
instructed Judge Steele what he should
do to bring the offenders against
the law to prompt account. The di-
rect and ready reply of Judge Steele
to Gov. Hawley. which was freely
commented upon and heartily eadors-
ed BY the newspapers of the state
at that time, dealt forcibly with the
action of the state board of pardons,
OF which the governor rs member,
and stated that to the indiscriminate
pardoning of criminals from the pen
itentiary after fair trial and convic-
ton through the diligence of the coun
ty officeas, was due the very act over
which the governor was so fiercely
denouncing the officers for not pre-
venting even at the loss of their
own lives" Among other things
Judge Steele said:
Permit me to suggest that 1t ap-
pears from the actions of the board
of pardons Of this state, that this
board. of which you are member at
present. falls to give proper credit
to the intelligence of the citizenship
and that the board appears to believe
that the juries Of this county and
the trial court do not understand the
conditions existing. The board of
pardons has set aside the verdict of
every jury and the sentence of the
court in every case Of any Importance
that has been tried in this county
for the past twelve years.
Il have had scores Of citizens say
to me what Is the use OF spending
our money in sending men to Boise?
They will only stay there a short
time
During the last twelve years l
have spent of the money of the peo-
pie Of Idaho county over fifty thous-
and dollars in the prosecution of Grim
inals. and not a murmur has been
heard Permit me to suggest that
IL courts are to enforce the law. the
board Of pardons should take a reef
In its sail, and see whittier 1t is tend
Ing.
Il feel that the board of. pardons
has been instrumental in bringing