The San Francisco call., 1898-03-18
sEALERs OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

THE revival after years of the late Senator | Mahoney's celebrated law creating sealer ot
 weights and measures in every county in the State presents the mercantile community with prac- tical exemphcation of the ancient saying that the evil men do lives after them while the good IS often inferred with their bones. During his lifetime MT. Mahoney made attempt to enforce his law Al though a politician of than ordinary nerve, he did not possess the courage insist upon persecut ing the tradesmen of the State with "sealers." It has remained for San Diego Board of Supervisors after seven years of innocuous desuetude to revive the law
 Probably more outrageous measure than Senator Mahoney's notorious statute was conceived by
 California Legislature. The "sealer act was passed at the session of 1891 and thus worthy fathered The Legislature of that year consisted mainly oi boodlers, and 1t out of its proceedings that the waste basket and Senatorial combine scandals emerged It was said of this Legislature that had the Lords Prayer been introduced it could not have been passed without the assistance of sack Mahoney
 intended the sealer of weights and measures bill as a political instrument. Had 1t been enforced soon after its enactment 1t would have placed n the hands of Republican Governor the appointment of an active politician in each county of the State with the power to harass the mercantile element at will.
 Aside from any question of the constitutonal1ty of the statute, 1t contemplates unwarranted inter ference with the private concerns of the people. The theory upon which 1t proceeds Is that all merchants are dishonest and engaged in cheating their toner's So 1t places over them an official invested with power to prescribe their weights and measures and to charge them fee for his services. In other words 1t creates political parasite each county of the State In many communities the enactment of such law would have been met with violence. There is reason to believe indeed that SenatofssMahoney renquished his design of enforcing it here because he feared the consequences personally and politically
 The statute was originally nullifed by the late Secretary of State, E. c. Waite. That official de- clined to assume the role of "State Sealer" the ground that the Legislature of 1891 had failed to make the necessary appropriation. The present Sec retary of State, Mir. Brown, declines to assume the role on the same ground. Yet Governor Budd, at the request of the Board of Supervisors of San Diego and by the advice of Attorney-General Fitz- gerald, has appointed "sealer" for that county The statute provides that the county "sealers shall get their standard of weights and from the 'State Seaer" As there is no State Sealer," and as it is not likely that there will be one, the San Diego "sealer will be unable discharge the duties prescribed by the act. This may may not inter fere with his fees-probably not.
 But other reflection need be appended We understand that 1t is the intention appoint sealer of weights and measures for this city The advent of such an official will be awaited with interest The moment attempt IS made to collect fees from the merchants and tradesmen of San Francisco for sea- ing their weights and measures the entire Demo cratic administration, State and local will be blown into thousand pieces. There are some things the people of this town will not stand. A "sealer of weights and measures" in opinion, is one of them