Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-11-15

for making new enemies and Tor unnec-
essary prosecutions, and for this reason
the release of these political prisoners is
a new departure. and points the way to
general amnesty when Parliament
meets A general amnesty will help in
stantly to change the atmosphere of iso-
lation, unrest and discomfort which is at
present a real danger to the Republic.
The workmen, Socialists and Syndica-
lists, are beginning to agitate for the re-
lease of all political prisoners without
exception; and many Republicans, now
that the majority of untried political
prisoners are not Royalists. protest loud
ly against the cruelty and injustice of
keeping suspects in prison for months
without trial. The majority of the prs-
oners now released are poor workmen.
distinction having been drawn by the
Government between these and the less
poor or the better educated.
1t is a curious distinction, and to the
ears of a demagogue may have fine
sound and dignity, but it is one which
a moments consideration shows to be
untenable and absurd. 1t is presumably
not intended to be a premium on Hitter
acy, for the Government processes hor-
ror of illiteracy, but it is. in fact, a pre-
MUM on servility. meanness, and OBJ
sequiousness. 1t is designed, says the
Government, to divide the responsible
from the irresponsible. A hundred and
twenty of the better educated prisoners
remain accordingly in the penitentiaries.
But it requires no very high intelligence
to know whether one prefers the mon
archy or the republic, or to realize that
the object of attack was the Republic;
so Understanding that all the prisoners
were guilty of taking up arms or ac
lively conspiring against the Republic,
which. of course, is not the case-the
net result of the distinction drawn by
the Government is to reward those who
fought against the Republic. not on prin-
ciple, but wantonly, in order to earn a
few shillings, and to retain in prison
those who did SO honestly. from con-
yiction.
The Republicans. who are less anxious
than is the Government, to fiatter GER
tain section of the people by encourage
ing class-hatred, admit the injustice of
the distinction. What arbitrary notion
is this of the Government" asks A Re-
publica (Oct. 8, 1919. Where are its
proofs, only to be found in the conscience
of each prisoner, that this or that pris-
oner acted on the suggestion of others?
And it is precisely those who We're con-
demned rather owing to their convie-
tons than their actions who are to be
kept in prison. Because some of them
are priests and others belong to the
Portuguese nobility they are held re-
SponSible. and are to continue to serve
a sentence to which they should never
have been condemned.
No one wishes a nobleman to h"'.e
more favor in the eyes Of the law thar
a peasant, but why should he have less?
But after all. it will be said, these 10
political prisoners are only retained in
prison for a few weeks till a general
amnesty sets them free. 1t is not to be
thought for q minute that the Govern
ment will mutilate it's own act of gen.
crosby by refusing to extend the amnes-
ty to these men. who. no doubt would
be as willing to sign an undertaking not
to bear arms against the Republic in the
future as they have shown themselves
unwilling to sue for pardon in terms that
implied that they had been justly SEN
fenced by the Republic in the past. The
Conspiracy of those now released Is
at least as clearly established as that of
those who remain in prison. The present
Government processes to abolish God and
religion. but in undertaking to Judge
men by their motives rather than by
their proved acts it Is assuming q pre-
rogative commonly held to be not hui
man but diyine.-Lendon Post.