The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-08-26
COLE BLEASE
SAYS LYNGH||VG
IS ALL RIGHT
Declares That It is a Protec-
lion to Civilization against
Certain Crimes.

Prisoners" declared that the lynch
ing Of men in the South for certain
crimes Is protection to civilization.
He condemned the third degree in
dealing with prison ers and expressed
the opinion that 1t was worse in some
respects than lynching.
The money we spend for courts
and prisons is very i'll laid OUT said
Governor Blease. He continued in
part: I'VE make. by dfstrust, the
thief. the burglar, and fncendiary and
by our court ana Ja1i we keep him
so. An acceptance of the sentiment
season would bring the Ielon and the
outcast to our side in tears, with the
devotion of his faculties to our serv-
ice.
Third Degree. Condemned.
Within the last few weeks VIC
rsa;. in the newspape's or man VINO
ha;l made an a,lclnu, upon the life
CT another bel IL: oiled TN questions
.<alti1 he was too weak to talk, then
belng walked up and dow the corri-
Gers Of his prison TO revive him, then
p led with a. sstlons tga1n and SUB
jected to God alone knows what else.
in the administration of the third de-
gree Later this prisoner was found
on the floor Of his cell with his skull
crushed in, and it was stated that he
had elm bed to the top of his cell door
and jumped to the floor, killing h1nl-
self. Whether he was murdered or
whether he really committed suicide,
1 do not know; but this do know.
that the suicide Of any man would
hardly be unnatural unuer such cir
cumstances, and that the treatment
accorded him. before conviction.
would have been disgrace to our
civilization even had il occurred aft
ter he had been tried and sentenced.
..This third degree method that is
practiced in the North and the East
and the West-less frequently, am
glad to say in the Soutn-whether a
man be killed during its administra-
ton, or whether he be driven to COM
nit suicide, or whether he be tortured
sometimes into confess1ng crimes of.
which he may be innocent, Is barDar-
ity in a sneaking form under the
sanction, of the law. and those guilty
of practicing it evidence a spirit as
mean and as contemptib1e as the NAL
ice which animates the midnight as
sassin.
Justice Eindicated by Mobs.
Three years ago I had the pleas
Richmond. Ny remarks were tele-
graphed throughout the nation, and
/ was heralded to the world as
chief executive who advocated mob
violence. 1 do not propose to go into
a discussion Of that here; It is en-
tirely beside the question. Suffice 1t
for me to say that in the South the
lynching Of man for the unment1on-
able crime is protection 70 our CIV
ilization. whiel the practice Of this
third degree violates the letter OF
our constitution at it's most vital point
and is blow to the whole spirit OF
our Institutions. In the South an
aroused mob is an outraged commun-
ity which carries out the law. but
brushes aside with mighty force the
laws technicalfties and delays. Inere
is no hypocritical, sancttmonious vto-
la+ion Of Fundamental rights under
the cloak OF law by those sworn to
uphold the law; the deed is open, and
civilization AMI justice arc indicated.
And when mobs are no longer posi-
BILE, liberty will be dead.
.sThe chief executive of a state has
not a more serious duty nor graver.
than the obligation I'M
posed upon him in dealing with prfs-
oners-and by prisoners mean to IN
clude those in jail awaiting trial.
"a state or nation that allows It's
prisoners to suffer cruelties is guilty
of a greater crime than the prisoners
themselves have committed.
1--WE have prisons and prison meth
DDS in the United States today which
are q disgrace to any civilization.
Parole Systems q Succesa
.ewhen assumed the office Of gov
ernor Of South arolina. I inaugu-
rated In my state the parole system.
and granted hundreds of paroles. I
inaugurated in my state the parole
was as vigorously condemned
on the one hand and as heart
demned on the one hand and as heart
lily condemned on the other, ror
nearly every decision reached upoE
each Individual case. as any man who
has ever been in public life In the his
tory OF this country. I cared not for
the condemnation or the praise. The
parole system which inaugurated
was entirely successful. Out OF the
OF paroles granted, very
few failed to lead good lives.
81 believe more firmly today tnan
ever before in the parole system as
the most advanced step that has ever
been taken In prison reform.
..I believe that the whipping of
prisoners should be forbidden except
in cases Of wilful disobedience of
rules or acts OF insu bordination. and
that then the whipping should be adj
ministered only In the presence of
disinterested citizens OF good repute,
who are not connected in any way. di-
rectly or Indirectly with the institu
ton The people OF the nation would
be horrihed IL they knew OF the fear
frl brutality practiced IN our prisons
the merciless whippingg. the cleo
sEs0 s4sSks. eng othss sozns es .sheclx: