The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-04-01

ist and will always be an extremist,
and if convinced is "like woman con-
vinced against her will, of the same
opinion still"
When Governor Blease first went
into Office and began to fight the hosi-
ery mill at the So It'll Carolina peniten-
tiary he was charged with wanting to
make beds of roses for the criminals,
Governor Blease kept up the fight,
and continued to show up the condi-
tions, and when the State senate voted
upon wiping out the mill at the past
session of the general assembly, there
was only one vote against the meas
ure in that body-the vote of the SEN
ator from Newberry.
The fundamental law of South Caro-
lire. the Constitution Of the State, IN
defining the duties Of the governor
saws that "he shall take care that the
laws be faithfully executed in mercy
The abolition of the hosiery mill at
the State penitentiary and the estab-
rshment of a parole system has car
ried out both the letter and the spirit
of this provision of the fundamental
law. Nobody would contend that
man should be turned loose upon the
State who would prove a menace 10
the State; and, on the other hand, no
right-thinking man will contend that
the object of punishment is solely to
nunish the offender. The protection
of society and the reformation of the
offender-the making good cltlzen
of one who has deviated from the pain
of rectitude-is the object OF the law.
"He shall take care that the laws be
faithfully executed in mercy'-not
that men who have trespassed against
the law shall be made worse men
than they are, if it be within the pow
or of the law to make. them worse
'but that the laws be faithfully exc
cuted in mercy"
| The late Senator Robert l.. Tayior'
who was conspicuous as governor OF
Tennessee, is said to have had MS
faults, and l suppose he did, for no
| man is perfect-no man here below
AS governor of Tennessee Mr.. Taylor
made frequent use of the oardonlng
power Whatever his faults, he was
man of great heart and man OF
great soul-a man whose heart throD-
he'd in sympathy with the common
Ilevery-day woes of his fellow-man, and
a soul which was attuned to the har-
mony of the universe. In memorial
address in the house Of representa-
tiyes of the United States congress
not long ago the Hon. James W. Col
lier, of Mississippi, quoted the late
Governor Taylor's defence of his par
don record. 1t is very beautiful de-
fence, and perhaps the readers OF
The Herald and News might like 10
read it again, though it may be ia
miliar to most of them. One who has
been associated with governors Of
fee will know that the picture is not
overdrawn. 1t is as follows:
81 saw an aged mother, with her
white locks and wrinkled face, swoon
at the governors feet; l saw old men
totfering on the staff, with broken
hearts and tear-stained faces, and 1
heard them plead for their wayWard
bows: I saw a wife and several chill
dren, clad in rags and barefooted, IN
midwinter, fall upon their knees
around him who held the pardoning
power; saw little girl climb upon
the governors knee and put her arms
around his neck; l heard her ask him
if he had any little girls; then saw
her sob upon his bosom as though her
little heart would break and heard
her plead for mercy for her poor, mis-
erable, wretched convict father. I
saw want and woe and poverty and
trouble and distress and suffering and
agony and anguish march in solemn
procession before the gubernatorial
door. and said, LET the critics frown