Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 67, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 March 1910 — Wherefore is The Political Purpose In Bader’s Parole. [ARTICLE]

Wherefore is The Political Purpose In Bader’s Parole.

It is strange indeed to see a lot of republican politicians in Jasper county tearing their shirts off to keep a democratic bridge grafter out of the penitentiary. The zeal displayed in this matter looks bad, to say the least. —Jasper County Democrat. The Republican can see no effort on the part of republican politicians to seek to keep Mr. Bader out of the penitentiary. We believe that the fueling of sympathy has been extended tc him largely on account of his family and in the belief that he was the victim of a system that was more general that has become known. We believe that many people regretted to see him go to the penitentiary for 2 to 14 years because they have considered the purpose of the law to be'reform-, atory and not persecutionary. Bader has learned the lesson that his bridges must be built according to specifications just as well as he would learn it if he served a penitentiary term. He has a wife and five children who need him and he has his means largely in his business which needs his attention. To send him to the peitentiary now would cause his family untold anguish and possibly result in the complete destruction of his business. That would be revenge but we are really glad to know there arc some men, both republicans and democrats, who approved of the exposure and of the conviction, but who are oi the opinion that the lesson has been taught and who are willing to extend the gracious hand of aid to the convicted man. The petition that was sent from Rensselaer asking a .temporary respite for Mr. Bader was signed by N. Littlefield, chairman of the democratic z central committee, by N. S. Bates, J. A. McFarland and prominent democrats who havfe probably never given the matter of politics a single thought and whose action was prompted by a motive higher than politics and which shows that there are a good many people who are not trying to take advantage of the misfortune of others to political ends. Mr. Bader was a democrat, is a democrat. The judge that tried him and the prosecutor that succeeded in convicting him are republicans. The lawyer that defended him is a republican. We can see no political significance in any of this and nothing that could possibly be gained to any person in keeping Mr. «Bader out of the penitentiary. On the other hand we can see no reason unless it should be one of personal savage vengeance why any one could get any satisfaction in gloating over Bader’s punishment. Worse men than he are breathing the air of freedom under the protection of political influence that arc corrupt but Bader had been convicted, sentenced and paroled and we believe that no harm can be done to any person on earth by his parole and we are confident that no political capital can be made out of the fact that a democratic governor paroles a democratic convict because good and responsible men of both parties have recommended it. ✓