An examination of the official records in
the office of the Secretary of State has been
made by the Baton Rouge Cupitolian -Ad
vocate with a view to ascertaining whether
there is any just foundation for the charge
that Gov. McEnery has contributed to the
increase of crime by showing extraordinary
and undue clemency towards convicted
criminals. Our contemporary reports, as a
result of this inquiry, that the number of
convictions for criminal offenses under the
McEnery Administration is double that at
tained during the administration of Gov
ernor Nicholls, whereas the percentage of
commutations has been reduced by Gover
nor McEnery from 28 to 20%. While the
CHIEF confesses to a decided predilection
against the present State Administration
and this without regard to its political com
plexion-we have not preferred or indorsed
the accusation which seems to have been so
successfully refuted by our esteemed Baton
Rouge contemporary. Under existing laws
it would be manifestly unjust to blame the
Governor alone for commutations of crim
inal sentences, since he can not exercise the
executive prerogative in such cases until a
majority of the Board of Pardons-which
consists of the Lieutenant Governor, Attor
ney General and the Judge who presided at
the trial of the condemned-shall have rec
ommended such action; and it is reasona
ble to presume that a body so constituted
would not advise interference with the ver
dict of a jury without weighty reason. A
Governor who declines to acquiesce in the
unanimous recommendation of the Board
of Pardons-and its conclusions are nearly
always unanimous-would undoubtedly be
oftener wrong than right, and much more
likely to consig. a defenseless fellow crea
ture to unmerited punishment than to in
flict an injustice upon society by heeding
the Board's advice.
