Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-11-11
OUTSIDE VIEWS ON CLEMENT AND
GRAHAM

It is not a pleasant task 10 insist upon
strict and impartial Justice for a friend
and fellow-worl.er. who has been found
guilty OF crime. Human nature, under
such circumstances seeks avenues for
the expression of sympathy Friendship
tugs at the heartstrings.
And then. az you pass among your fol.
lows of varying social grades and classes.
you hear expressions that set you think.
h,g seriously Of another side. III he had
been Battery street offender. he would
have been railroaded to prison" There
should be the same law and Justice for
the high and the low" Failure to en-
force the law against a man in high
position is what makes Bolshevists.'
You have doubtless heard comments
like these az you have passed in and
cut among men. If you have you have
realized that a far-reaching principle is
OF stake; that tremendous forces have
been set in motion in Vermont during
these past two years. and particularly
during the past week.
In time like this. when local friend
ships and sympathies have full play In
connection with an issue like the Ora
ham case. it is we'll for us to see how
entirely disnterested authorities view the
situation. The Boston Transcript and the
New York Times are manifestly not bias
ed by local sympathies or prejudices or
by party or factional feeling.
The New York Times shows that tho
terms used by Gov Clement in pardon
Ing Graham is direct unquestioned re-
Election on Vermont's public morals. II
Gays;
always, when a president or a COVER
nor exercises his pardoning power for
any other reason than that there has
been miscarriage Of justice in tho
courts-a miscarriage as a result Il which
a man has been punished for a crime he
Nd not commit or has been punished
more severely than, In the circumstances.
re deserved-there is difficulty in find
o.
adequate for the display Of executive
len.ence. Inevitably there arises, in all
such cases, the criticism that one Grim.
nal has received mercy that is denied to
"thers-that tho bandage ovsr the eyes
Of the lady with the scale. ana the
sword has been lifted az leas. enough for
bar to see djfeerences ~ nm .or. nv n .
ether TO which she shou;l be wholly
Mind.
Thus Is warrant given sometimes for
saying that there is one law for -he rich
ans another for the poor, sometimes tina.
the members Of the privileged clashes
stand BY each other. and sometimes that
some kind of influence'-most often DO
Ntical-has been used effectively. In all
these eases the consequence Is the Gro
nting or Increasing of disrespect for the
aw-or questioning its impartiality.
often and often. of course. these ac-
,usations or suspicious are iil-foundea
and the course of the executive. at worst
has illustrated only an honest and com
mnrdahle desire to show mercy. But,
unfortunately. that desire may be unac
,omparied by due appreciation Of the
fsct that mercy and Justice are In n nat
ural and unavoidable conflict, ana tina,
between the two there is No Mans
Land full OF dangers.
ut Is with thoughts iiko those ius,
Expressed that the hardening by the pres
at governor o: Vermont Of his prede-
r':sor In office must be approached
-, ernor C..ment- congruous name
'-"T', TO havo found justification for
a'sflifying the decision Of his States S,.
Sr-me Court on the very day that deci-
non was handed down by what he calls
the great and valuable services to the
atc Of Vermont which Governor
slrar he'd rendered while 10 Office.