A Mother

On Jan. 21, Miriam A. Ferguson, Governess of Texas, assumed office; since then, she has pardoned 353 convicts. Official figures for total number of convicts now incarcerated in Texas -- were not available, but to local observers 353 pardons seemed to be an extraordinarily large percentage of the probable total. They criticized the Governess. She replied that many of the pardoned convicts were about to die from incurable diseases.

She also added that furloughs would be freely granted, for "no dying mother shall ever plead in vain for a chance to see again the wayward, unfortunate son before death shall claim her into eternity."

She concluded her statement: "Yes, I am going to continue it, no matter who kicks or howls. Rave on, ye critics, if you think you can explain your actions to your God."

* The Census figures for July, 1922, give the number of Federal and state prisoners in Texas as 3,626, of which 353 is almost 10%"