IMAGINATION 4II"During his imprisonment, B--has inaugurated a system of
correspondence instruction in the Ohio penitentiary, as you of course
know. He has influenced 1,729 of the 2,518 prisoners of the Ohio
penitentiary to take up courses of instruction. He has managed to beg
sufficient textbooks and lesson materials with which to keep these men
at work on their lessons, and has done this without a penny of expense
to the state of Ohio. The warden and the chaplain of the penitentiary
tell me that he has carefully observed the prison rules. Surely a man
who can influence 1,729 prisoners to turn their efforts toward self-
betterment cannot be a very bad sort of fellow.
"I have come to ask you to release B--because I wish to place
him at the head of a prison school that will give the 160,000 inmates of
the other penitentiaries of the United States a chance to profit by his
influence. I am prepared to assume full responsibility for his conduct
after his release.
"That is my case, but before you give me your answer, I want you
to know that I am not unmindful of the fact that your enemies will
probably criticize you if you release him. In fact if you release him it
may cost you many votes if you run for office again:'
With his fist clinched and his broad jaw set firmly, Governor Vic
Donahey of Ohio said: "If that is what you want with B--I will
release him if it costs me five thousand votes. However, before I sign the
pardon I want you to see the Clemency Board and secure its favorable
recommendation. I want you also to secure the favorable recommen-
dation of the warden and the chaplain of the Ohio penitentiary. You
know that a governor is amenable to the court of public opinion, and
these gentlemen are the representatives of that court."
The sale had been made! And the whole transaction had required
less than five minutes.
The next day I returned to the governor's office, accompanied
by the chaplain of the Ohio penitentiary, and notified the governor
that the Clemency Board, the warden, and the chaplain all joined in