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Show mm, 't'j'-Justice Qtimone, . mm , -,o?t-(-:., w --- Bs'' w ,..'' ,- 'i LP'11 " "' v om' Mooneyfjhas been saved front the gallows"; He Rp ' - w spend his life in the state prison of California. Jus- K"rt-,vl". lice has been outdone. Governor Stephens faced a vex- ifx:;: " " iiS question when he reviewed the evidence in the Moon- Bt'i'' y.u' In our opinion he hat, failed of a solution. There Bjs, ' is no compromising point in the Moonty case. He should fe:ff'' either hang or go free., An executiv.edecision which Is Br':' r ' JQot in line with this theory is not in keeping with the K;;' , nnciples of justice. B,'-..'"' ' r 5Ve do not attempt to pats on the guilt or .inno- P-'"L' ence of Tom Mooney. His friends assert he was the Hl 'l-: victim of perjured testimony: Others areequally certain b' "" .' that he was given a fair trial and was honestly, convicted. BjV.' .As governor Stephens commutes Mooneyes sentence of, Bf: :.' ' (death to one of life imprisonment he fails. of a decision. P:-'.v-: -" In the crime of which Mooney was convicted there can B:'v';mv"'; 4be no extenuating drcumtearices; He is either guilty, or; BkJ innocent 1 , fJrf. ,a Hf J If he is guilty, Governor Stephens has cheated Calk. Br1 , '' iornia of justice. If he is innocent then .Tom Mooney. Bv::-- " has been cheated, of the justice which' should mark our, Kf dealings with crime. These are the two ends in' the pro-' Ettfr blems set before the California executive. There is no Mvv '- middle ground, such as Governor Stephens has taken. 1 Km'W- ' . Governor Stephens accepts, the full responsibility of H' hisac but it must belshared by others. President Wil-j BK'' , ' ' . son shares the responsibility of the decision. Repeating 91 , his blunder in Utah, President Wilson begged .ctemencyv, KSS - - for,Mobriey, not because he was convinced of his inh 1 "- " cence but beacuse he declared it would create interna-' B--" tional complications. He made the game explanation BV when he begged for the life 6f Joe Hillstrom. J Kr'1; The explanation is insufficient In the passing of BifV ' judgment on a man for crimes which have been commit-' BvV l, ted, only one element should'be considered, the guilt or Hfff- innocence of the man at the bar. If we are to be bound Bp ', by influences which have no bearing on this question our Ky, courts cannot maintain their integrity, for it becomes B $, the power of the President to set aside all that the judi- B btf ' cial branch of the government accomplishes. The inter- B Z::r f erence of Presidnt Wilson is as much to be regretted as K ?-;', !. the fact that Governor Stephens faikd to make a just de- I :rr,'l .- cisionin a trying case. Salt Lake Herald. |