The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-02-26
BENNINGTON, VT, FEB. 2s, 1914
THE PARDoNlNe POWER
ea.e0
Is

] Tie GHttI tACCuLlNCI 10 fCpNto Win
the power of pardoning convicted
| criminals it takes man of resolute
will and high conception of his rar-
amount duty to society and to the
whole people to withstand the con-
slant appeals of interested parties in
| behalf Of those whom justice has over
| taken and who are answering to the
state for their crimes and misdoings.
! Altogether too many chief execu
| tiyes show a lamentable lack of these
| qualities and in this class the present
| governor of Vermont is rapidly find
| ing a place The state had reason to
| expect better things of Governor
Fletcher for no longer ago than last
June the governor took occasion to
| declare, in an address in st. Johns
! bury in which he referred to the par
! doning power, that he should grant
no pardons unless ii was shown that
material evidence had been discover
ed since the trial and conviction Of
the criminal, declaration of his in
tentions in the discharge of his ofilc-
ial duties which the Standard quoted
and commended at the time il vas
put forth.
But that, as It too often the case,
precept and practice have failed to
harmonize is shown by the governors
recent lavish and apparently indis-
criminate use of the pardoning power
in releasing prisoners lawfully con-
victed and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Standard
The Banner does not feel about
this matter as the Standard seems to
and il the Standard viii pardon a per
sonal allusion we viii try to state the
other side of the case from that talk
en- by the Enosburg paper.
Under the Vermont system the gov
ernor, lieutenant governor, speaker
of the House of Representatives and
one other person lin this case Mrs.
p. f. Hazen of St. Johnsbury). form
the board OF visitors to state institu-
tons. 1t has thus fallen to the editor
OF The Banner to visit the penal in
stitutions of the state with Governors
Mead and Fletcher during the past
four years.
On the occasions of these visits the
writer has heard many applications
fer pardon-or rather for parole dur
ing good behavior, as there are prac-
tically no pardons issued In Vermont
We have heard the discussions which
have arisen during these hearings
and have been fairly familiar with
many Of the circumstances and we
have come to believe that paroles IN
der reasonable supervision and re-
straint should be more frequent and
easy to obtain than at present,
though in this connection Vermont
needs an association to aid in getting
a new starr for not only those paroled
from prison, but also those released
on expiration OF sentence.
In all penal institutions there are
two types of so-called criminals. The
largest class and the hardest to cope
with in the long run IS the habitual
offender. whose crimes are more or
less serious, and who goes from one
offence to another and generally from
enc prison term TO the next as long
as he lives. This type seems TO re-
quire indefinite restraint or control
in some form though often the ten
dency OF the victim seems. to be more
weak than vicious-largely due TO de-
generacy or the failure during child
hood to develop normal self-restralnt.
The other class is composed OF
those who under strong temptation
CT stress of excitement, passion. fear
or difficulty commit some crime.
Any one of us may at any time find
ourselves in this class. II not our
selves 1t may be a member OF our
family or one whom we hold dear. In
these cases the law has 10 provide a
uniform penalty and therefore the
sentences are more or less similar re-
gardless OF the character or previous
record of tho respondent.
Where the crime is OF this class Il
is not the length of term that counts,
but whether the lesson In selfre-
s.raint has been sufficient to accom-
plish its object. In some OF these
cases too long confinement may de-
feat the very object aimed at. through
breaking up families and removing
the incentive TO become a useful mem
Der OF society.
Then, too. there are some details |
that do not become generally known.
For instance. there Is a case now
pending A man about 40 years of
age is in prison serving a sentence OF !
two years. He has good record for |
20 years before this fall from grace. |
His wife has three children. one Of !
them an invalid. and is expecting an
other baby in April CT May. The |
mother is trying to support the fam
ily. while the father Is in prison. The |
man has served only three or four
months Of his sentence. but The Ban |
ner believes that he ought to be par
oiled. Does the Standard think that |
be ought 10 serve his full sentence. |
There is no question about his Of |
Tense In fact. he pleaded guilty. yet |
We cannot but feel that there 10