The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-09-13
THE MEDICATION OF
THE BOARD OF PARDONS

Concerning the recent pardon OF
Shorty" Davidson, the High Springs
convict doing time for murder,
about which the State press has had
much to say, the Sanford Herald, af-
ter quoting from the Orlando Re-
porter-Star on the subject, adds:
I'VE do not claim that the board
did not act according to the dicta-
tions Of their conscience in the mat
ter but we would also like to hear
from them on the subject At the
present time there has been no denial
from them and they have not even
taken the time to make statement
of the case. Until they do the news
paper men of the State who know
he pardoned convict will believe that
justice has been outraged +"
And that brings up the question
of whether the board of pardons il
called upon to explain to the public
reason it has to justify it in every
pardon it grants if there is newspa-
per criticism of that pardon. II
would be very busy body of officials
If it had to do so. 1t is inconceive-
able that it acted carelessly, hastily
or without reasons which it deemed
fully sufficient in so important a case
as that of Shorty Davidson, and un-
til adequate evidence to the contrary
appears the presumption holds that
the action of the board was justified.
No Judge in rendering an unpopular
decision is bound to rush into print
to explain or justify it, and the same
would seem to be true of the board
90 pardons. as 1t acts in a purely 1u-
dicial capacity on the cases brought
before it.
AS a matter of fact Davidson was
not granted full pardon, but his
release was conditioned upon his
hereafter leading sober, peaceable.
law-abiding life. It is also worthy
OF note that the people of High
Springs are by no means of one opin-
ion as to the Outrage" of the board
of pardons in its action in the Dav.
idson case. The mayor and council
OF the town, many citizens of the
town and county and nine of the
jurors that convicted Davidson, en-
dorsed the application for his par
don and some of the State witnesses
did likewise, asserting that they did
not believe the man guilty. Also an
other convict has confessed under
cath to the crime, fully exculpating
Davidson. The latter has served
six years of his term, is now an old
man in poor physical condition and
has been model prisoner. All those
facts were before the board when it
acted on the case and that a cond;-
tional pardon was granted under
such circumstances is not only not
strange. but it would be strange IL
1t hadn't been granted.
The board of pardons has thank
less and difficult task to perform in
considering and acting on all the
cases brought before it, and with
such men as Governor Trammell,
Secretary of State Crawford, Attor-
ney General West. Comptroller
Knott and Commissioner of Agricul-
ture McRae, constituting the board,
we think that the presumption in ev-
cry case should be that they acted
right. and that presumption should
stay put until it is overthrown by
ample evidence to the contrary. We
have seen no such evidence in the
Davidson case.
The conditional pardon granted to
Davidson, and the reasons for it,
have been published in the state pa
pers, so that the people may know
just why the board acted as it did.