The San Francisco call., 1910-08-11
PUBLIC APATHY
NATION'SDANOER
Citizen Makes Plea for the
Awakening of Voters
To Their Duty

r former governor of Missouri, in ad-
dressing an audience at Albany
Ore. urged the public to take
Indifference of the law abiding
majority. and activity of the
law breaking minority were respon-
sible for corruption in public affairs,
he said. If this country was not des-
tined to endure. Folk predicted that the
Indifference of the voters would cause
its downfall.
When. last April, the old soldiers of
the Grand Army were invited by the
citizens of Berkeley. the address of
President Wheeler of the University of
California made a great impression on
every one present. Addressing the vet
Grams, he said: when in 1861 you took
arms to save the country, it was not
in so great danger as it is today
The whole country at present is full
of crime and corruption, and unless
every man, and especially the young
men. show the same patriotism and de-
votion as these old veterans of 1861
showed, there is no telling what this
country of ours. may come to-" This
was the substance of President Wheel
er's' remarks. and it is a pity they have
not been given a wider circulation.
Statistics show that, in 1906, in Eng
land eight murders were committed to
the million population; in Germany, six.
and in the United States, 11S In Eng
land and Germany the criminals are
severely and quickly dealt with, but
not so in the United States.
In no part of the world is life and
property so insecure as in San Fran
ciscosand vicinity. Armed robbers go
into stores and private residences in
broad daylight in the heart of the city,
gag and tie people and rob them un-
molested, and if they meet with resist
ance, they make use of their weapons.
Not only are private citizens murdered.
but also some of the best officers of
our city. Not long age when thieves
We're surprised robbing store at Sixth
and Alice streets, Oakland, by the spe-
cial officer of his district, he was shot
and instantly killed.
a few weeks ago pair of robbers
held up and robbed Southern Pa
cifc mail train No. 10 at Be
nicia, and after threatening to
shoot all who offered resistance,
turned the locomotive loose along the
track upon which west bound passen-
ger train No. was approaching. For
tunately the crew of this train saw the
approaching locomotive and managed
to sidetrack it. These robbers have
been captured, and recently a statement
was made by a California judge that
the maximum penalty for such a crime
in this state was five years imprison-
ment. No wonder that California is
popular resort for the criminal class.
In this instance the robbers confessed
that they would have killed any one
who offered resistance.
Years ago, when San Francisco was
overrun with criminals, Judge Wallace
soon cleared the city of this dangerous
element by giving criminals convicted
In his court maximum sentences. In
Chicago man was robbed of 76 cents
and. on accounct of being armed the
robber was given a life sentence. That
is what is needed here; robbery under
arms should be punished by life i'm
prisonment.
Whose fault is it that conditions are
as they never have been before? Don't
the judges do their duty or must the
laws be adjusted?
Suppressing graft and corruption.
grand juries should be given more
financial support to enable them to en-
gage reliable experts. as stated in the
report of the grand jury of 1908.
We have always had good grand
jury in Alameda county, but with an
allowance of S5 a day they are unable
to perform the duty intrusted to them
The jury of 1908 soon convinced itself
that reliable experts could not be OBJ
tanned for less than $50 to $50 per day
and their assistants from $40 to SIS per
day. An additional amount was raised
and the result proved to be very salts
factory
A law was introduced into the legis-
lature to give grand juries sufficient
financial assistance, but unfortunately
has been sidetracked somewhere. Pos
sibly politicians do not want powerful
grand juries.
The report of the grand jury of 1909
reads as follows:
I'VE have been unable to make care
full examination of the books and rec
that the law empowering the grand
jury to employ such an expert al would
be necessary to obtain any satisfactory
results limits the compensation to S5 a
day. 1t is absolutely impossible to OBJ
tain an efficient and unbiased expert for
any such sum as So a day. The last
grand jury recommended the legislature
to pass act increasing this amount
Representatives of Alameda county in
the state legislature can not be too
strongly convisced of the Importance of
amending this law. 1t is not only rec
commended that the members of Ala
media county in the state legislature
favor the passage of such a law, but
that they introduce such measure in
the next legislature will enable a
sufficient sum to be placed at the dis
posal of the grand jury for employing
a competent expert, and that our repre-
lively for its adoption. The limit now
prescribed should be increased to an
amount not to exceed s2,400 in any one
year HERMAN BENDEL.
Oakland, Aug. 10, 1910.