South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-09-17
GOODRICH DEFENDS
PARDON BOARD IN
TALK TOLAWYERS
Says He Felt Duty Bound to
Extend Clemency to
State COnviCts.

INDIANAPOLIS. Ind. sept IT,
Gov. James r.. Goodrich. OF Indiana,
in address here Thursday night at
the opening session Of the annual
meeting OF American Institute ~
Criminal Jaw ou Uses and Abuses
OF the Power or PARDON" urged "a
more liberal use by officials of the
pardoning power Judge Hugo Pam
of Chicago. presided
After nearly four years OF eV-
pericncc and q careful study Of the
criminal question the governor
said. j am fully convinced that the
public interest Isl best served the
reform o. the prisouc- more Ger
t4inly attained and the welfare or
the community advanced oy a hJeS-
"a but discriminating use of the
Iardouiue power than by ts harsh
and restricted use Mistakes viii
le made. men occasionally viii be
D leased who should nave served
their fui time. but for every mis-
a. o. So made. scores OF men viii he
Ta5toi cd 20 society never again .u
t~anFgress the Law. many families
u-ltcd and made happy. the just de-
T snds ~ the law satisfied. and So
clety benefited b. such apoHcy.'
Duty Of Governor.
~ 81 gus. as much the duty of the
executive 90 act and extend clemency
wIcu the occasion demands. the
governor said. as 30 is for the Judge
nd jury 90 convict when the facts
q escntcd show a violation OF the
law
The power OF the executive TO re-
move q par.cular case from the
application of tnc law is sacred
a. al.
10 the abuse OF The power hy some
officials and in the 8dul. trdtion OF
that trust neither tc-.. .-.0 Or nor af-
tscliOu should influence aim IN the
slightest degree. IT, passing upon
a1 appeal tor C.cuCues. the pre-
umptiou should be ks. D.. mind that
the statute invoked U-s intended
o. apply ana that the judge acted
properly and with CO.. 1cl result.
or this reason the Judge and prose-
citing attorney should be- consulted.
q heir knowing the local conditions
and the surroundings and situation
az the criminal, their advice IN the
matter should be given due weight
Hard 10 Convict.
That the too more IequeTft use
Cf the pa~donius power brings the
courts into dlscepute, dispels fear of
crime and creates "a spirit OF boil
slevism. l do no. believe ne said.
III the law fell with equal weight
upon every one. high. low, rich and
oOr. who arc -Iiity o. an infrac
tiou, therc rrignJ De some reason tor
insisting thai me Utility should IN
al cases pay th- LuG penalty of the
law. But too often I have seen IL
applied with unequal weight IL is
most difficult through our local
courts and JurIes 10 secure the prose
cution and conviction or men OF high
social. financial and political stand
ing who violate tho law.
ut is this situation and not the
liberal but discr.-llr--ing use OF
the paruOnIug power -hd- creates
unrest, anarchism ara bolshcyism
and conviction that tHe law means
one thing 10 a man ~ low estate
and another TO a man of high es-
tate.
after a careful survey OF the rec
ord made in my own state during the
past four years the governor said
IN concluding. observing che effect
upon the persons and tho families
OF those 10 whom clC1elCy has
been extended. 81 have no hesiJa-
ton in saying that more errors have
been committed where cicmency
has been refused than where il has
been extended