第58章

SpecialassistantsoftheAttorney-General，suchasMr。FrankKellogg，ofSt。Paul，andvariousfirst-classFederaldistrictattorneysindifferentpartsofthecountrysecurednotableresults：Mr。Stimsonandhisassistants，Messrs。Wise，Denison，andFrankfurter，inNewYork，forinstance，inconnectionwiththeprosecutionoftheSugarTrustandofthebankerMorse，andofagreatmetropolitannewspaperforopeningitscolumnstoobsceneandimmoraladvertisements；andinSt。LouisMessrs。DyerandNortoni，who，amongotherservices，securedtheconvictionandimprisonmentofSenatorBurton，ofKansas；andinChicagoMr。Sims，whoraisedhisofficetothehighestpitchofefficiency，securedtheconvictionofthebankerWalshandoftheBeefTrust，andfirstbrokethroughthearmoroftheStandardOilTrust。Itisnottoomuchtosaythatthesemen，andotherslikethem，workedacompleterevolutionintheenforcementoftheFederallaws，andmadetheirofficesorganizedlegalmachinesfitandreadytoconductsmashingfightsforthepeople’srightsandtoenforcethelawsinaggressivefashion。WhenItookthePresidency，itwasacommonandbittersayingthatabigman，arichman，couldnotbeputinjail。Weputmanybigandrichmeninjail；twoUnitedStatesSenators，forinstance，andamongotherstwogreatbankers，oneinNewYorkandoneinChicago。OneoftheUnitedStatesSenatorsdied，theotherservedhisterm。(OneofthebankerswasreleasedfromprisonbyexecutiveorderafterIleftoffice。)Theseweremerelyindividualcasesamongmanyotherslikethem。Moreover，wewerejustasrelentlessindealingwithcrimesofviolenceamongthedisorderlyandbrutalclassesasindealingwiththecrimesofcunningandfraudofwhichcertainwealthymenandbigpoliticianswereguilty。Mr。SimsinChicagowasparticularlyefficientinsendingtothepenitentiarynumbersoftheinfamousmenwhobattenonthe“whiteslave“traffic，afterJuly，1908，whenbyproclamationIannouncedtheadherenceofourGovernmenttotheinternationalagreementforthesuppressionofthetraffic。

TheviewsIthenheldandnowholdwereexpressedinamemorandummadeinthecaseofaNegroconvictedoftherapeofayoungNegrogirl，practicallyachild。Apetitionforhispardonhadbeensentme。

WHITEHOUSE，WASHINGTON，D。C。，August8，1904。

TheapplicationforthecommutationofsentenceofJohnW。Burleyisdenied。Thismancommittedthemosthideouscrimeknowntoourlaws，andtwicebeforehehascommittedcrimesofasimilar，thoughlesshorrible，character。Inmyjudgmentthereisnojustificationwhateverforpayingheedtotheallegationsthatheisnotofsoundmind，allegationsmadeafterthetrialandconviction。Nobodywouldpretendthattherehaseverbeenanysuchdegreeofmentalunsoundnessshownaswouldmakepeopleevenconsidersendinghimtoanasylumifhehadnotcommittedthiscrime。Undersuchcircumstancesheshouldcertainlybeesteemedsaneenoughtosufferthepenaltyforhismonstrousdeed。Ihavescantsympathywiththepleaofinsanityadvancedtosaveamanfromtheconsequencesofcrime，whenunlessthatcrimehadbeencommitteditwouldhavebeenimpossibletopersuadeanyresponsibleauthoritytocommithimtoanasylumasinsane。Amongthemostdangerouscriminals，andespeciallyamongthosepronetocommitthisparticularkindofoffense，thereareplentyofatempersofiendishorsobrutalastobeincompatiblewithanyotherthanabrutishorderofintelligence；butthesemenareneverthelessresponsiblefortheiracts；andnothingmoretendstoencouragecrimeamongsuchmenthanthebeliefthatthroughthepleaofinsanityoranyothermethoditispossibleforthemtoescapepayingthejustpenaltyoftheircrimes。Thecrimeinquestionisonetotheexistenceofwhichwelargelyowetheexistenceofthatspiritoflawlessnesswhichtakesforminlynching。Itisacrimesorevoltingthatthecriminalisnotentitledtooneparticleofsympathyfromanyhumanbeing。Itisessentialthatthepunishmentforitshouldbenotonlyascertainbutasswiftaspossible。Thejuryinthiscasedidtheirdutybyrecommendingtheinflictionofthedeathpenalty。Itistoberegrettedthatwedonothavespecialprovisionformoresummarydealingwiththistypeofcase。Themorewedowhatinusliestosecurecertainandswiftjusticeindealingwiththesecases，themoreeffectivelydoweworkagainstthegrowthofthatlynchingspiritwhichissofullofevilomenforthispeople，becauseitseekstoavengeoneinfamouscrimebythecommissionofanotherofequalinfamy。

Theapplicationisdeniedandthesentencewillbecarriedintoeffect。

(Signed)THEODOREROOSEVELT。

OneofthemostcuriousincidentsoflawlessnesswithwhichIhadtodealaffectedanentireState。TheStateofNevadaintheyear1907

wasgraduallydriftingintouttergovernmentalimpotenceanddownrightanarchy。Thepeoplewereatheartallright；buttheforcesofevilhadbeenpermittedtogettheupperhand，an