The Governor's New Custom
A short, wry item notes the Mississippi governor's practice of granting leaves of absence to convicts at his own discretion — a small window into the loose and personal exercise of executive power in the Reconstruction-era South.
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The Cairo Bulletin · July 11, 1873 · Page 2
1 min readThe governor of Mississippi has inaugurated a new custom in that state: he grants leaves of absence to convicts in the penitentiary, some of which run according to the good conduct of the convict, and others are lengthened or shortened, as suits the convenience or pleasure of the executive. This is something new under the sun, but as it takes place in a Southern state, there is nothing to be done or said about it, except to 'make a note on't.'
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