The San Francisco call., 1897-11-04
STERNBERG IS
NOT PARDONED
Released From State Prison
on a Communication of
Sentence.
He Is Not Restored to the
Rights and Privileges of
Citizenship.
The Petition Signed by Members of the
Legislature-H Senatorial
Courtesy Was Used.

Louis Stern berg. who coonzed the
Forty-second Asse mbly District in the in
terest o: Senator Mahony in 1894, and VINO
was convicted OF felony for so doing and
sentenced III February, 1895 to q term oi
three years in Folsom prison, was last
Monday released by Governor Budd.
Stern ber- Is in town again and yester-
day received the congratulations of many
OF his acquaintances.
The popular notion that Stern berg was
pardoned Is a mistake. The Governor
simply commuted his sentence. The
executive clemency bestowed in this case
does not restore TO Sternberg the rights
and privileges of citizenship which he en-
joyed before his conv ctIon. Governor
Budd's view OF the case is that Stern
oerg's term OF prisonment. expiring
nine months hence, has simply been
commuted. One of the grounds for com.
mutation was the fact that the prisoner
was ten months in The County Jail prior
to his Incarceration in the State prison.
Following is the text of Govern or Budd 5
PROCLAMATION, Issued last Monday, which
makes Sternberg free man:
WHEREAS In the month of February. A. d.
1893, at regu ar session OF the Superior
Court, ED in and for the city and county OF
san Francisco, IN sal State, Louis Sternoerg
was tiled and conv. .cted of the crime of felony
and sentenced to III dergo all impriS onment
in the State prison for the term OF three years (;
e q whereas, the crime Tor which ne was COLI
V'cted was the procuring OF residents OF the
city who were legal voters thereof, 20 register
in Il Senatorial district, otner thu that o.
their residence, it not being charged that
they voted or registered more than once. This
was the first violation OF the election laws,
known as colon iZaiIon, which has grown in to
a custom, but was stopped by the vigorous
prosecution of Stern berg and others under the
advice OF myself and the State committee,
advanced money on the request OF the San
francisco Grand Jury, 10 assist the proSecu-
ton And where's, Sternberg's term expires
by law Aug ST %, 1898, some nine months
hence, without allowing any credits on his
sentence for the ten months and two weeks he
was imprls soncd in the County Jail; and
whereas, he is s. young mau. of excellent
family, OF previous good character and not of
the criminal class, and is the only one pun
lShed OF all those guilty OF violating he elec-
ton laws in san Francisco IN 1894; and
where's il would be q matter OF Improperly
ana injustice Tor one closely connected with
the prosecutor OF Sternberg 10 refuse TO
grf n cemency when the elected represent
atlveS OF the people, comprising SOne OF
our ab!est aud best citizens, thirty
seven out OF forty state senators, and
q ma j0rity of the ASselnb ymen, uniting in
written request therefor, all but one OF the
Senators from IN Francisco IN writing aud
personally un ting in the request; g ight of
the trial llrOr, Joining with them, A. j.
Clunle, whose alb prosecution secured the
conviction, writing in Sternberg's behalf, and
the Board OF Prison Directors making favor
able recommended on.
on October -, 1897. after the recommends
tion OF the Prison Directors, the Mayor Of san
Francisco, the Hon. James D. Pheau, did tele-
graph request tnat | deIay action on said
recOmme udatiOn until r protest OF the citizens
OF San Francisco could be procured and tor
warded. have waited, and after two weeks
delay have received the protest Considering
the LANGUAGE OF whicl anC the ease with
which signatures can be obtained and pub
iiShed, the Mayors protests. three in number,
uev rtneleS> con AIN but lib names out of the
upward OF 1000 voterS and 800, 900 residents
OF san kranclfco.
As we must assume that all proceedings in
THIS behalf were in good !alth. the rotest does
not overDear the facts, petitions and recon-
mendatlons ABOVE, but Is an evidence OF the
acquiescence OF the citizens o. San Francisco
in the acis OF the Senators, Assem5lvmen and
jurymen mentioned, and in the judgment uI
the Board OF Prison Directors
Fully agreeing with the Mayor and protest
ants as 10 the seriousness OF offenses against
the election laws-I will be as ready to aid in
their prosecution a. | was In securing the
conviction of Sternberg; but for the reasons
herein stated deem the shortening of Stern
berg's sentence proper.
Iu.conc.usion the document sets forth
that "tEe sentence of Louis Sternberg
shall expire and terminate on the 1st day
of Novemb Der, 1884, and is sig mel by the
GOVernOl.
1t is interesting at this time to study
the influences which brought about the
petitions for ernberg's pardon. The
fact was we'll known at Sacramento last
winter that Senator Mahoney was using
that quiet little pull known as senatorial
courtesy for all that il was worth. He
secured the signatures OF many Senators,
who signed simp.y to gralify brother
Senator. 1t was a.so spoken above a
whisper that Stern berg was not the chief
offender. and never stood chance of be-
ing tne chief gamer by The offense.
In the estimation of many who COM
mented on the case it was held that equal
and exact Justice was not rendered wnen
one of the offenders was sent to the peni-
tentiary and others in the same class were
sent 10 Tho LEGISLATURE. The petitions
presented to Governor Budd were worded
and signed as follows:
To his Erect encg, james H. Budd, Governor OF
the State Of tdtifOrnjG->IR; 1he Undersigned,
vour petitioners, herebv respectfully and
earnestly petition your ExCelleDcy TO pardon
one LOUIS SternberR, convicted on The h day
of February, A. d 1895. IN the Superior Court
nj tie Civ and ouu y OF San Francisco. Sta
of Cal tfornia for tie crime of felony, TO wit:
a violation OF the election law, Tor which he.
was sen enceu TO three years IN the sta te
prison at Folsom, Cal
Your petitioners state that befJre the trlal