The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-15

Meanwhile, Is there not something
humiliating in the rejection that a
tribunal authorized and appointed by
the Government Of the United States
should descend to such practices? Or
are we content to accept the spy sys-
tenn In toto, cost what 1t may?
Perhaps. however. the president of
the parole board is prepared to deny
that he ever entered into any such com
pact with a prisoner. and perhaps the
Department Of Justice will be astonished
to hear that he ever did. Is the thing
true or not true? I think men exist who
have excellent reasons to believe and
who may be willing to testify that 1t Is.
But take the case of q prisoner who
had no confederat"s-how does the
board deal with him? According to my
information. which includes my per-
sonal experience. question Is put to the
applicant whether or not he admits
himself guilty of the crime for which
he is undergoing sentence. My own
reply was. "Not guilty" and though the
president was very courteous to me and
gave me every assurance that | might
expect favorable action on my applica-
ton as n matter Of fact and of record
| the recommendation made to the Attor-
ney-General was that my application be
| denied, and denied it accordingly was.
lsut in other cases nearly contem-
porary with mine which came to- my
knowledge the reply of mot guilty"
called forth the rejoinder that In that
| case the matter was not one for the
| board to pass on. but should be referred
| to Executive action, that is that the
| President Of the United States should
he petitoned for a pardon. Some men
| are so persistent or so infatuated as to
| take the suggestion seriously, but their
petition does not bear fruit; probably
| its path to the President Is by way of
| the Department Of Justice. where 1t is
either pigeonhoed or reaches him with
| an Endorsement to the effect that ii Is
not a case for clemency. But in such
| cases as came to my knowledge the
| Pres ident never saw the petition at all.
| And what happens If our man pleads
guilty? Why, In that event he Is told
| that such person as he should not
| have made application for parole. that
! he has not been sufficiently punished.
| that the best he should hope for is to
serve out his sentence. less the regular
allowance for good time. 1t is case.
| in short. of heads the board wins. tails
the convict loses. and he withdraws.
wondering perhaps what the board is
for But let him beware Of becoming
FESTIVE under his disappointment or he
may forfeit his good time too.
Tina, the parole law * interpreted un-
der III conditions as being a favor or
privilege. and not n right earned by good
! conduct Is perhaps no more than one
| might expect, but no prisoner VINO lacks
powerful trends or whose parole does
not IN some way inurc to the adVantas"
Of the prison quite as much as I" MS
! own can make his application with
assured hope Of success. Upon the
Who'll. the prisoners feel that par"l" Will
not he granted If any means can he
found or devised to prevent II. In" good
report of an entire county where man
formerly lived will not prevail against
the adverse report OF some inspector
one enemy of prisoner outweighs. in
| the boards estimation. the favorable
words OF many friends
Moreover men released on parole live
in constant dread OF the secret service.
, for they know TINT unjust and trivial
pretexts are often made the occasion of
their rearrest; and "A paroled man re-
! arrested must serve out his whole time
without rebate and not including the
period during which he was at liberty.
Some supervision by the Government Is
Of course proper, but the men feel 1t to
he hostile, not friendly or helpful-that
any error they fall into or mishap they
meet with will be construed against
them not in their favor. In short, I'M
der the outward forms of liberty they
are still in prison, and are often dis
Outraged from doing their best by this
sleeplcss fear Of the proving spy.
A.. do h,.xr haf ant
Of I ,0O0 prisoners who applied for parole
up to June 80. 1918 go were successful.
These applicants were serving terms Of
from one year and day To twenty-one
years. The go who were parolcd had
served an aggregate of elghty-threc
years beyond the period when they We're
eligible for parole Uhat is after one
third of their original sentence, or an
average of about IL days each and with
an average of from % to 10 per cent.
~ the time contemplated for them To
rcestablish and rehabil.tatc themselves
The one year one day men lost about
SO per cent. Of their time during which
they might have .aborcd To- reform them
selves and there wcr" about 100 of the
go whose sentences ran for "a year and
a day. Some 6j of the go had sentences
of more than year and a day and less
than two years, about 80 had over two
years and under three years. From
|, which 1t would appear that short term
men convicted of minor offences were
given preference for parole over Ions
term men.
. When an applicant goes before IN,
7 board for examination he is sometimes
: turned down summarily; but more often
he goes out ignorant whether or not h,