Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-11-11

OF embeHzlement. After Indictment ana
before trial he made restitution OF the
greater part Of the money he had taken.
but he was convicted IN the lower court
and the Supreme Court sustained the con-
viction, declaring tho verdict we'll found
and that It could do nothing except en-.
force the law. The sentence was to i'm.
prisonment of from five to eight yearv
Before a single day OF this sentence had
been served, Governor Clement. on the
ground that enough punishment already
had been inflicted. Graham. being what
he was. gave him unconditional pardon
and full restoration to citizenship.
I'm doing this. the governor used. I'M
auestlonably, a permitted discretion. but
he'd he beer Of another and sterner tenn
poramen. he would have soen Graham,
not ms man deserving mercy, but rs
one whose Gin was the more gr!ovous be.
cause committed against the light, with
out any Of the excuses tina. can b. made
for criminals without his training. in
teligonce or environment.
Perhaps Governor clemen, gave Some
weight to the consideration that his State
would DO Inundated BY having ono Of
it, sx-governors In Jail. II the State not
more Inundated by what seems to be
proof that In governors can do with out
eoins to Jail things which, when done By
mon Of less official sminence. send them
there to stay til their sentence has been
servsd:-
The Boston Transcript discusses the
merits Of tho whole situation In . some.
what similar vain.
1t. however, finds IN Gov. Clements
action and language a reflection on both
vermont's courts and public morals. II,
says:
"It may be q matter o: sound syinpa-
tketic satisfaction to Governor Clement
of Vermont. that he II able to SGT ex-
Gov. Horace r. Graham free, with q cor.
tificAte OF high character and Of distin.
Eu!shsd pubic service. in opposition to
the dsuree OF the Supreme Court Of the
State. which had condemned the former
governor to from five 20 ciyat yeArB n
prison. We cannot question the motives
Of Governor Clements henrt In the mat.
ter, pus ybesc Is grave reflection on the
court IN ito terms o; the letter 70 Graham
with which tire governor accompanies
tho pardon Tao .etter. By quoting the
report OF the auditors, which IN effect
covered up the finencia! transactions Of
Graham while State auditor, distinctly
carries the implication that he was with
out offence. IF this were the case, what
does Justice in Vermont amount tor Has
tho Supreme Court condemned an inno-
cent man? Moreover. tho high compli-
ment which Governor Clement pays to
the former governor in his letter leaves
the impression upon tho public mind Of
spotless public service on the late gov
ernor's part.
EITHER way the matter is looked at,
there must have been a failure Of jus
tice In Vermont. II Horace r. Graham In
70 stainless man as Governor Glenn
ent's voucher seems to imply, the courts
Of the State must have been the instru!
ment Of an attempted act OF tyranny and
injustice. But all who know the States
ideal Of equal and exact justice for all
men will hardly credit such an assump-
ton as that. The distinct Inference re-
mains that 1t would have been much
better 20 let tho law take its course. at
least until such time as its formal de-
mands may be supposed to have been
satisfied. and II Il be true that the ex-
governor. ns Governor Clement says, has
suffered enough, to have set him free
then az an act of pure mercy, and not in
manner to make the pardon a virtual
vindcation."
We believe il the Graham case had oc-
Cured in Massachusetts or New York
most Vermont newspapers would view
the situation very much as do tho Times
and Transcript. The question Is not
Graham's guilt or even his adequate
punishment. The question now Is what
are the public morals OF Vermont as re-
flected by the attitude Of official YER
mont and the people as q whole toward
this embarrassment by a trusted State Of
fleials. The Times sums up the whole
case when II asks II this outcome Is not
proof that our governors can do with
out going to jail. things that would mean
Imprisonment FOR individuals Of less Of
ficial eminence. What an unprejudiced
commentary is the outside conception OF
Vermont's public moralsi
NO TIME TO INCREASE ExPENS SEES
1t is a poor time to boost wages and
salaries 10 general whsn the great in
d'Hirial plants Of tho country have in
stituted movement to pull down both
wages and the consequent cost Of living
This Is Az true Of State az vel; as Of
individual concerns Tho Brattleboro