The Prescott daily news., 1916-01-31
DECLARES GOVERNOR
 HAS PLEADED GUILTY
His Statement Admits Charges Against Him, and "Virtually Pleads guilty to Indictments" " Says Judge Haynie.

Prescott, Jan. 29.-Circuit Judge George R. Haynie issued the following statement in reply to Governor George Hays statement in last Sun days Gazette, with reference to the governors pardoning power;
 "The governors statement in last Sundays Gazette is what the lawyers would term a plea of confession and avoidance He virtually pleads gull ty to every indictment I have laid against him for his abuse of the par doning power. He seems to have the idea that the object and purpose of the law investing the governors of- 1 flee with the pardoning power is that 1t may be used more as a matter of public patronage than as relief against unjust and unreasonable pun ishment. In neither of his state ments does he offer any excuse or any reason for issuing the pardons in eases referred to except that they were requested by prominent lawyers and other men of character and high standing, and in some cases by officers of the court and by a number of citi- zens. He does not state that he did in single instance make any further investigation for himself as to the merits in any of the cases; this is practically what l charged him with heretofore. The convicts who are not fortunate enough to be able to employ these prominent lawyers and men of character and high standing as a rule are still behind the prison bars.
 Says Power Has Been Abused.
 My understanding of the object and purpose of the law clothing the governor with the pardoning power is that relief might be granted in cases where there had been a miscarriage of justice in the trial of the man con victed of the crime, or that there are mitigating circumstances connected with the commission of the crime, or that the party seeking the pardon has served a sufficient portion of his time as to make it reasonably certain that the ends of justice have not been met In none of the cases heretofore re- ferred to by me does the governor advance as a reason for issuing par dons that there has been a miscarriage of justice, or that there were mitigat- ing circumstances connected with the commission of the crime, or anything else that would justify him in extend ing clemency. For instance, take the case of Will Neal of Clark county, who was convicted of murdering his moth er-in-law, and Will Hunter of Miller county who was convicted of murder ing his own father. l am familiar with every detail connected with the commission of these crimes and know that there was no justification what ever in their commission. If there l had been a petition signed by the judge, prosecuting attorney and all other officers of the court, as well as great number of citizens requesting pardon of these murderers, still | there would be no justification for their pardons. Does the governor take the position that the facts and circumstances surrounding the com mission of these horrible crimes should not be considered in passing upon the applications for their pardons? If they should, then in the name of justice and reason why were these two assassins turned out of the peni- tentiary?
 Says Governor Dodges Issue
 "The governor devotes considerable time and space trying to show that the criminals pardoned by him were poor people by publishing list of their property as listed by them for taxation. In the first place l have never stated that they were all veal