Devils Lake weekly world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1914, 1912-01-05

don board in the recent opening of the
gates of the, penitcntiary was late in
coming, but it arrived, and as expect
ed, the shame rests on the shoulders
Of those who made up the board. It
is as truthful an apology as might be.
hoped for, that comes from Bismarck,
and one who reads. it cannot help but
realize that the board was naughty and
did not behave nicely as little boys
should while papa is away.
l If the board did the right thing it
would be no disgrace to have Cover
nor Burke's name connected with its
act, but from The Bismarck dispatch it
is evident that the governor does not
like it, hence in order to clear the gov
ernor who was out Of the state, the
press bureau is.called into service and
told to get tho name Of the governor
out of the middle and then if posi-
BILE apologize for the acts of those who
were on the ground.
If the act of the pardon board added
several thousand dollars to the finances
of the state, then things would be diff
ferent and Burke's name might be at
tached to the glory, even though he
were out Of the state, talking about
freeing some woman responsible for
a murderous crime. ~ -.
If some have attached the governor IS
name to the pardon board and he does
not want it there, for some reason or
other, probably because he realizes
that the board did not get the proper
coaching, what more evidence need
there be to show that what The World
and nine tenths of the newspapers
over the state have deplored, does not
look good to the eyes of the governor,
despite the feeble cry of "political
rot''
Aside from getting Burke out of the
affair there is nothing in the Bismarck
dispatch to sanction the action of the
board. A statement of facts is made
in connection with the article as to the
total number Of pardons, and the one
ease of Remington is brought up, but a
reiteration of tho facts would not help
matter a particle, for they are still
grating on the nerves Of those who
have suffered at the hands Of the Grim
mails now freed, and while it hard
enough to endure those who have COM
pleted their sentence, even when they
move to or from another state, the COM
munity that is so hampered has enough
to answer for without being burdened'
by pardoned men, some of whom have
served brief period for heinous
crime.
Many leave the state where the crime
for which they were pardoned was
committed, but the community to which
they move can in most cases be pitied.
Some, to be sure, have come from be-
hind prison bars better men and wo-
men, but the average sentence admin
istered is usually none too great at the
time it is. given and the vengeance of
criminal which has ever been known
to retard the progress of prosperous
city, in the effort of the criminal to
find someone to listen to crime more
heinous than that for which he was
sentenced and pardoned, should not be
lost track of as it was at the recent
session Of the pardon board.
This fact alone, say nothing of the
example set those who have the slight
est inclination to go wrong, should con-
vince anyone that the pardon board
must be made up Of men other than
those who have done a good turn at
election time. If the rising generation
is to respect law, they can only be
made to do it by the pardon board
lending helping hand, and not in
freeing men before the crime for which
they were sentenced is forgotten and
the ink if the commitment has dried.
We must continue to blame the par
don board, even though they acted on
broad hint Of the governor in an east
ern speech, always remembering, how
ever, that the governor is not to be
blamed for that which transpires in
his state when he is OUT of 1t. In this
light only can the apology be accepted
since Governor Burke's alibi has been
proven.
A Good WEAR COMING