Salt Lake Telegram | 1918-07-29 | Page 7 | Mooney and Politics

a Mooney and arid Politics ME- ME Governor Stephens of California has granted Tom Mooney a ag g reprieve until December 13 thereby sidetracking the necessity of off 1 f m making king a final decision in the case until after the November elections elec- elec ft ons The fhe reprieve will a anger ger those those- who believe Mooney should Abe be hang hanged d. d On the other hand it will give only mild satisfaction 1 t f to io those who believe Mooney should be granted a new trial The regrettable feature is that the governors governor's act forces the 4 Mooney case forward as a campaign issue in California politics and it should have no place in the camp campaign ign Governor Stephens' Stephens explanation explanation ex ex- that he needs until December 13 to study the voluminous rj transcripts of testimony and briefs in the case ts is an insincere excuse tf for delaying action for the governor has known for months that the case ase was coming before him and he has had ample time to acquaint Himself i with the facts t There is only one vital question involved namely Was Wasl l ley given a fair t trial ial The question of Mooney Mooney's guilt is secondary sec sec- Y P for even if there was evidence of his guilt it r hv ld be unlawful to hang him on perjured and fraudulent mony The codes do not sanction the railroading of even a guilty man mal to the gallows e If Mooney was not accorded a a. fair trial it is the duty of the f governor of California to direct that he be given a new trial There i are numerous s other indictments growing g out of the dyn dynamiting ou outi outrage out out- t i rage on which Mooney may be brought before a bar of justice i Instead of reaching a decision Governor Stephens has weakly 1 opened the way for indecision until after fter the election is over In InYthe InY Y r t- t the meantime he is opp opposed sed for election by Charles R. R Fic Fickert ert the district of San Francisco who attorney an prosecuted Mooney and nd who Y demands that he be hanged J s 1 The he Mooney case is thus forced i forward as a campaign issue t f the whole e energy ergy of every every candidate should be directed toward x t ih greater e ter problems occasioned by the war K 1