The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1918-12-10
UNHAPPY CONTEMPORARIES.


Two or three of our most valued and high
ly esteemed contemporaries for which we
the highest respect, for reasons
best known to themselves have an uncon-
trollable crouch against Governor Dorsey
and are drifting into the undignifed attitude
of nagging. The governor is scored for his
prediction promise to respect the verdicts
OF Jurles and the judgments of courts
and not Unfortunately pardon persons
of crime, and often in the same
he is as severely criticised for
giving worthy prisoners the benefit of the
parole law. 1t is plain, therefore, that our
are not so much concerned
over a principle or a desire to uphold law
and protect society as they are to find
fault with and scold the governor.
The course of Governor Dorsey in regard
to the exercise of the pardoning power has
been entirely consistent Not more than
half dozen prisoners, perhaps, have been
pardoned, and the sentences of extremely
few have been committed in the two and a
half years he has occupied the executive
chair, and if his critics will take the trouble
to look into the records of these cases and
inform themselves as to why the governor
extend mercy they will, in all probability,
either approve his action or remain silent.
Governor Dorsey has, perhaps, paroled
as many, if not more, prisoners than any
of his predecessors, and in doing so he has
been entirely consistent with all of his pub
lie utterances on the subject of pardons. !
There is a vast difference between a pardon !
and parole. One gives a prisoner his lib
erty and restores all the rights of citizen
ship. The other permits a prisoner whose
record before the commission of crime was
good, whose conduct in prison has been
and who, it is believed, would lead
an Industrious and useful life, to serve
The remainder of his sentence out of the
He is still a prisoner, for
whom some responsible person makes
monthly report to the prison commission
md if he does not deport himself properly
S returned to the penitentiary. The act
If the legislature authorizing the parole of
Onvicts says
but no parole shall be granted save
upon the recommendation of every
member of the prison commission and
on the approval of the governor and
then only on the prison record of said
prisoner and his history before his con-
vlction for crime. When the
prison commission, after a full ex-
animation into the history of said
prisoner before the commission of the
crime for which he has been convicted
and the prison record made by him
since his confinement in the penitentia-
ry, shall become convinced that he is
worthy of parole or conditional par
don and that his release will not be in
compatible with the welfare of society,
and that he has the qualities of char
acter which entitle him to a restora-
ton of citizenship, it shall fully report
its findings thereon to the governor
with recommendation that said parole
or conditional pardon be granted"
A just and humane law it is. Under its
provisions stripes and chains have been
truck from many poor devil who had
Utmost lost hope, and another chance given
lin to make a man of himself. And, to
heir credit almost all of them have made
good, industrious, upright and useful men.
Very few, not more than per cent, have
been returned to the penitentiary for VIC
ating the terms of parole.
When wisely administered the parole law
S a benefit both to the recipient of its
and to the state, and the gov
ernor need offer no apology for giving a
worthy prisoner an opportunity to redeem
himself.