The log cabin Democrat., 1920-10-22
CLARK ARRAICNS
 GOVERNORS ACTS
SAYS LAW NOW MOCkERY
No Criminal Trials in His Court Until After McRae Inducted-Can Plead
 Guilty October 27.

AANNA AA' of circuit court set for November 3 has been recalled, Judge George w. Clark asserts in his statement of req sons for the action that the pardoning power of the governor of Arkansas has Oeen used in such way as to make "a mockery of the honest efforts of officers to enforce the law" and that there will be a change in the gover- nors office in January, and I think we can reasonably expect decided improvement-we know it can not be worse" Judge C, '-'s statement was when he announc~I ,.a IL nrm had been recalled, but res.~. Log Cabin Democrat too late 10. ,ublica- tion until today
 Persons held to await the action of the grand jury are directed by Judge Clark to report to the court on the second Monday in January when the regular winter session will be opened. Witnesses summoned by the grand jury are given the same instruction. The advantage sought by Judge Clark in deferring criminal trials until January is that Judge T. c. McRae will by then have been inaugurated as governor and persons convicted will not have recourse to the clemency which he alleges is now being indis- criminately bestowed by the gover- nor's office.
 The same practice followed at the July court term to prevent the use of executive clemency in behalf of per sons convicted, will be followed by Judge Clark on Wednesday, October 27, when those who wish to plead guilty to misdemeanor charge will be heard by the court. By collecting the fine and costs then and there, the person convicted will be beyond the line of clemency. Judge Clark's state ment in full is as follows:
 Editors of Conway Papers: Kind ly publish the following announcement in your papers for the information of all parties interested:
 For the following reasons 1 have utSlutd llOI u IlOIu lIt uJOul lieu term of Faulkner circuit court:
 First, the purpose of holding this adjourned term was to dispose of cer- tain criminal cases then on the dock ct, but l have reached the conclusion that it is a needless waste of public funds to try criminal cases where the party accused of crime has influential friends or IS able to employ pardon attorneys to secure pardons. My eX- perience on the bench has taught me that after convictions have been ob- talned ln the circuit court, appeals prayed and granted and the judg- ments of the lower court affirmed in the supreme court, after which the granting of a pardon would appear too rank, stay of execution Is grant ed from time to time and the sentence of the court thus set aside. In other instances, pardons are being granted regardless of the question of guilt and the total absence of any valid reason why the same should be done "Under these conditions, it is mak- ing mockery out of the honest efforts of officers to enforce the law, is heapmg increased burdens on the tax payers of this county with not the slightest hope of accomplishing any thing except to cause the people lo pay increased taxes and to sacrifice their time in serving upon juries.
 There will be change in the gov ernor's office in January, and l thInk we can reasonably expect a decided mprovement-we know it can not be worse.
 All persons held to await the action of the grand jury will be required to appear on the second Monday in Jan uary, and the same is true as to wit nesses subpoenaed before the grand jury.
 All persons indicted for misdemean- ors, who wish to enter a plea of guilty, can do so on Wednesday, Oc- tober ?, at s a. m.
 George w. Clark, Circuit Judge"
 Conway, October 21.