The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-04-13
ABUSE OF PARDoNING POWER

ABUSE OF PARDONING POWER
The Star-Mirror is in receipt OF thu
reprint in attractive book form of {
special article from the pen OF Rob
ert o. Jones, secretary of the state
of Idaho, published recently in the
Portland Oregonian and entitled Re
striction of Pardon Power is Advo-
Gated to Check Crime" The article
recites Interestingly and convincingly
cases in Idaho and other northwest
ern states where it is apparent thai
the pardon power has been used in
judiciously. Severer penalties, speed
Ter justice and stricter prison disci-
pline are suggested as remedial fac.
tors in the suppression of the law
lessness now sweeping the country
and menacing the very foundations o.
the social order.
The article recites cases where nler
who have committed murder in The
most cold-blooded manner possible
have been pardoned, or have the death
sentence commuted, sentiment in such
cases having outweighed Judgment
apparently. The maudlin sympathy
for criminals, which is so frequently
in evidence among the American peo-
pie, is referred to as being beyond
understanding.
The article, The Star-Mirror be-
lieves, will cause many persons who
read it to stop and think and to en-
terrain very grave doubts as to
whether conditions are bettered, or a
real kindness done even the criminal
himself, by hasty use Of the pardon
power. 1t is too easy, few years
after a crime has been committed to
forget the crime and the persons who
ter sympathy upon the criminal.
Mr.. Jones concludes his convincing
article with the following statement:
"a man found guilty should get an
adequate sentence. The pardon pow
err should be less hastily used and
with more deliberation and leglSlat-
i've restriction would be valuable IN
many states. This will tend to make
crime less attractive and it will cease
to be as menacing as it is today
"a "a "a
The national bureau of economic
research is planning careful study
of the sundry factors which combine
to cause wide fluctuations in business
activity and prosperity-or what is
now popularity referred to as the
business cycle. The main purpose OF
the study apparently is to devise
plan of action which
might serve to stabilize business and
thus remove or at least reduce recur-
ring unemployment. Long range"
planning of public works, the various
forms of social insurance, improved
and extended methods of machinery
for the collection and dissemination
Of trade statistics and other allied |
.opics are listed as being selected for
thorough study. 1t is indisputable
hat many of the ills of this and other
periods of depression have their roots
lirectly in the limitations of human
nature These causes can, of course,
,e removed only very slowly. AS
ong as business men continue to
gnore the canons of prudence, as
ong as the reins of government are
n the hands of professional politi-
ians or demagogues, and until the
yorker rids himself of certain foolish
otions and casts off, in part at least,
uman frailty, we can not by any
means fully attain business stability
yer long periods OF time.-Lewisson
'ribune. /:
Fatty" Arbuckle has been cleared
n his third trial of the charge of ,
and it is probable that
e will now be allowed to go his way.
he verdict of the jury has not
hanged the opinion of the public of I
as man, after the light of
ublicity has been turned on his hab-
S, and it is very unlikely that he
i'll ever again be screen idol or any
her kind of an idol. 1t is probable
at the attorneys have him pretty
ell broke financially by this time
Id it would be entirely all right for :
m to get out and work for a living :
w.
- "a ~