The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1961-02-02

in a closed hearing, not open to the press,
SO the public has no way of knowing
whether or not the investigation was
thorough.
Thornton said five witnesses he
named to substantiate his charges were
not summoned to testify at the hearing,
which would indicate the committees in
v~estigation was less than adequate.
* X X X
Then there is the little matter
of prisoners over at Parchman, the
state penitentiary:
News developments show prisoners
have been freed to go home weekends
to attend to urgent business. Like
college boys" as one state critic put it.
At least one community in the state
has protested the ten-day leave freeing
OF a convicted murderer only three
months after he had been sent to prison
to come back to the community.
There is some indication that favor
tism is being used in choice of prisoners
to enjoy the weekend leaves given sup
posedly for good behaviour and morale
purposes. It seems the choice of the law
yer who defended in the case may have
some bearing on the standing of the pri-
soner at Parchman.
We don't profess to be a penologist
but we don't think any superintendent
should be able to free any prisoner to
roam around in the outside world while
he is supposedly serving a sentence i'm
posed by a lawful court for crime against
society.
The continuation of this practice
is an invitation to trouble, if not
tragedy.
State Editor Thatcher Walt of The
State Times views the leaves granted
prisoners as a reward for proven good
behavior and desire for rehabilitation as
safety valves of "incalculable value.
But when the leaves are granted as
a matter of political favortism the whole
system is jeopardized."
Governor Barnett should realize
it before it started. No stigma attaches
to a state administration more quickly
and fingers longer than the suspicion of
favor-peddling in PRISONS" Thatcher OBJ
served.
AS everyone knows Governor
Barnett's life has been plagued with
jOb-seekers ever since he assumed
office in January, 1860. Still they
come for themselves and their
friends, political b%y-products of three
campaigns for governor.
Then there's the smokescreen around
the state budget but here a little light
penetrates, because we have some state
officials like Senator Earl Evans who do
know what is happening and lets it be
known.
The only constructive suggestion we
can offer is, that Governor Barnett open
up state government to state newsmen so
that the public may be Informed on
happenings in their own state government
= If there is nothing he wants to hide
and at this point we don't believe there
is. We don't know about the future.
The closed door" sessions should be
abandoned here and now, as a protection
for the people and the present admins
tration, and as a guarantee of honesty in
government.
The state government belongs to and
is responsible to the people of Mississippi
and they have a right to know what
happens in it.
They should not be compelled to get
their information secondhand from poll
ticians who are supposed to be serving
the people yet conduct closed committee
hearings in a way that people cannot pos
sibly get a true and accurate picture.
All of this could be averted by Cover
nor Barnett by putting his foot down
and we hope he will do it.
4 Adve. tiser
- q ,0cr