The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-12-04

Irvine factory fnAinttined In the pfiss
ON. These earninxs are given to the
family OF the prisoner. IL he mas one
and II not, saved for him until he fin1
ishes his sentence. the State had
tried the whipping post and abolished
It. Speedy trials and reform OF court
delays and technicalities he believed
would do much toward preventing
crime.
Governor Joseph III. Brown, OF
Georgia, Little Joe,s as his trends
afrectionately call him, explained
what ueorsie had done to prevent
iynching and mob violence in all Its
forms BY the use Of martial law on
occasion. Governor Brown thought
the system Of permitting conv.cts TO
earn money while serving sentence
was u good one, but thought that In
the case of convict serving time for
homicide half Of his earnings ought
to go to those who had been depend.
ent upon the victim.
Governor Emmett O'Neai, OF Ala
basna, stated that the United states
were far behind the countries OF the
old world In the matter OF deterfing
crime. There were 5000 murders last
year in the United States and only
. per cent of the murderers were pun
lshed, while In Great Britain one out
OF four was executed; In the United
States one out OF fifty-six. ONeal
laid all the blame At the door Of our
antiauated system OF court procedure
and the enormous number OF feversals
OF verdfcts on appeals. He believed
the punishment for crime should not
only be certain but swift He offered
a number Of suggestion for reforms In
cour. procedure, and took a dianetri !.
caily opposite stand on the question
of lyncning al from that held by Gov.
ernor Blease
lie stopped Lynching.
He had a law passed giving the Stu
prene court OF the State the right to
impeach sheriff who permitted q
prisoner to be taken from his custody
by mob. He had two irnpeacheu soon
after the law was enacted and there
had not been a lynchiig In the state
since He believed Alabama was
about the only oSnthern State that
could buast that II had not had a
lynehing in two years, but Governor
kitchin, OF North Carolina, Interrupt
ed to remark that North Carolina had
not had one in four years, and Gov
ernor UNeal took off his hat to North
Carolina.
Governor Kitchin spoke very briefly,
sympathizing with The court ref1 rms
suggested. and soins further with the
statement that he placed many OF the
penolegy problems at the doors vi
the jury system, which he thought
was depIerable In the South. lie
didn't pin much faith to the statistics
as he had done some statistic gather
lug .es,. the, subject OF crime hissss eli
and they didn't pan out according 10
advertisement.
Governor Albert W. Gilchrist. Of
Florida, created general laugh b,
! ris as to explain to the conference
how he "stepped into his Legislature
with both teef," and simply forced
them to pass the measures he be.
heved necessary to the States wei.
fare. 1t was necessary. he said, foi
every governor TO Leoome member
or his Legislature IL he wanted TO ae-
compiish anything in the way of iesis.
iatien. He touched on ths subject
| CT penology very briefly, but took oc.
casion TO compliment the state OF Xir.
| ginfa ON the swift justice metea IL
The Beatty and McCue cases---he ait
not believe 1t could have been accom-
| plished in his State because of III,
| prominence Of the parties involved
He believed that ali The States SHOULD
| pattern after the English government
| IN that respect--make Justice sure
certain and swift
| Meet With Favor.
The Recommendations OF uoverno
! O'Neal seem to meet with much fave
among the executives, and there wa
considerable Informal discussion o
them after the conference had ad
journed
Briefly Governor ONeaf urged
restoration of the common law pow
ers TO judges so they could hold tn
reins OF the courts: regulation of Tn
I system OF appeals: vesting power Il
the supreme Courts OF the States t
make rules OF procedure for the lowe
f,rurts; allow same number of chal
tlenges to State and defendant: ALLOW
either State or defendant right t
change of venue. amend jury laws t,
allow flo exemptions from jury dut,
! except in extreme cases; abolish fe
Erstem; keep the courts open all tn
year around except for brief sumne
vacation. and have no indictment 70
mlsdemeanor except by grand jury
| 1T is that magic circle of technical
ties" said Governor O'Neal, that les
sens respect for our laws and in
/ crease crime.
There can bs no progress until thes
Anticipated forms and usages arc don
away with"