The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-08-31
SOMETH|N ON
WHICH ALL UNITE
Solid Oaklanders Declare
That Reputation Is
of Value.
NOT FRIENDLY TO LIBEL
A Thousand Dollars, Offered to
Find a Flaw in the Fee
Bill.
CoNsTABLEs : ASK SYMPATHY.
CoNsTABLEs::. ASK SYMPATHY.
If Not Paid More for Catching Tramps
They Will Have to Work to
Avoid Arrest Themselves.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANCISCO CALI

Il
908 Broadway, Aug. 80. {
OakIanders have at last found an idea
upon which they can all unite. They
have discovered what Shakespeare pro-
claimed to the world quite long time
ago-that good name is not trash and is
worth protecting and preserving. Twice
within the past month influential police
court juries have convicted 3 man of
criminal libel because he unjustly held q
leading citizen up to the community as a
being to be Stunned and not to be trusted.
The principals in the case were really
only of secondary importance, the great
principle involved being the value Of a
character, and whether anybody who can
obtain e press and type should be per-
mitted to assail it as his fancy or his adj
vertising solicitor dictates. Twelve men
of family and weight, and who themselves
have nothing to fear from such attacks in
a community where they are so well
known, have decided that such conduct
shall not be permitted, and on two occa-
sions have decided that the offender is
guilty.
This is a refreshing change from the
ordinary tactics of police court iuries, and
has served to restore confidence in the
community to such degree that when q
third suit was brought against the same
paper it had no legal owner or no one who
would acknowledge that they owned it,
and it will be difficult to fix the RESPONSE
bility. At one of the trials it was openly
stated in court that if jury would not
protect man who was maliciously called
a thief there was no recourse but to adopt
the border fashion of settling differences
with gun. Such a course is not neces-
sary. and it will be years before the salu-
tary lesson just taught will be forgotten.
Another fact in this connection which is
creditable to Oakland's intelligence is that
such tactics are not acceptable to enough
people to pay for the expense OF circu-
lating it, and thus it happens that any
body who is courageous enough 10 accept
the ''good- will" of Oakland's oldest news
paper can have it by paying junk-store
prices for its pi and type.
The constables who depend for their
daily bread upon the misfortunes of their
fellow men have expressed desire for
the sympathy of the community in their
present dilemma. They claim that the
fee bill passed by the last Legislature is
making paupers of them and gradually
paving for them the way to find rest in
the potter's field. Further than this, the
constables have offered to guarantee $1,000
to an attorney who can find flaw in the
bill
The work of catching men who are pass
ing through the county on their endless
mission for work is not regarded at all
favorably in Alameda County. There
have been so many fragrant cases of in
justice that the sympathy is with the
tramp" rather than with his catcher.
So many tricks have been resorted to by
which men have been convicted as va
grants that with few exceptions the So
called constabulary of the county is not
accorded much sympathy in its present
fight. Judging from the number of zap
pointments" ana "revocations" of depu-
ties filed by the constables and the reasons
given for taking back the star, it is evil
dent that but for the temporary appoint
ment there would be no difference be-
tween the officer and the so-calIed
tramp. When it is considered that a
constable can make as many deputies as
he pleases, and that having done little
work on election day is ofttimes the only
claim upon which the privilege is based,
the extent of the evil is at once manifest.
To expect the county to let every political
worker make good living without work
ing is an idea not very popular at this
time. To use the words of the head con-
stable of one OF the townships, "There are
men with star securing the county for
tramps who would be just as liable to ar
rest but for their appointments"
There are, of course, few others.
It is fully believed that the State board
will raise the total assessment of Alameda
County, not because they think it is now
too low, as it is higher than last year, but
because the politics of Assessor Dalton does
not agree with the ideas of the men who
failed to recognize the existence of Hun
bred miles of railroad track that Mr.. Dali
ton found in Alameda County. In. the
at Sacramento it is very easy
to see the hidden hand that is seeking to
cast obloquy on the work of Dalton. 1t is
the work OF the mortgage and
bankers, who for the first time have been
REQUIRED to pay taxes on something near
the correct amount of their holdings.
If every boxcar and piece of property be-
longing to the railroad company were to
be assessed for as large proportion of its
value as is the little house OF the working
man a levy one-third less than the present
tax would be sufficient. But it is not for
such equalization" that Mr.. Black Ryan
attends the meetings of the county and
State boards. A popularity of the situa-
ton is that some of the men who are at
tempting to discredit Dalton because of
their low personal assessments are the
same who object to his assessm emit OF their
realty. Anywhere else such proceedings
might cause comment, but not in Aiame-
da County. .. W. b.
More Charges Against Tumlin.
OAKLAND, CAL, Aug. 30.-Sergeant
Hodgkins has made number OF discov-
cries regarding the career of Henry Tum-
lin, the colored burglar, who was recently
arrested. To-day several new charges
were booked against him and 1umlin's
future is very gloomy.
nr Marrirnan Seriously Injured.