The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-09-07
CAMINETTI CONVICTED.

The conviction of Caminetti. con of
the II. S Commissioner of immigration,
of violating the white-slave' act, In
| the notorious Reno case, was upon one
count only. but this docs not necessar-
| lily imply that he was guiltless or the
other three counts; tho truth being ac-
| cording TO all reports and testimony,
| that Caminetti was in fact, rs guilty
on all four counts as was Diggs him
self. though more OF consenting than
plotting, Diggs being the leader In the
case. But convection on one count rs,
after all, conviction, and Justice has
been moted out by the jury to Camin-
etti, although in less degree than to
Diggs This difference in the findings
was doubtless for the cause stated aud
perhaps also because Of the moro man
" course Of Caminetb in making no
effort to shield himself behind The
skirts of the woman, as Diggs did.
The appeals that are to be taken in
these cases will be chiefly upon the
point of the application OF the Mann
tiousness The fact that these girls
were taken across the California State
line over into Nevada for immoral pur-
poses brings their cases within the mean
ing of the law, as construed by Judge
Van Fleet Attorney General Mercy
nolds takes different view of the law.
He holds that in order for that law
to take notice Of crime Of this sort,
there must be commercializing of the
women. IT. is not enough that State
bounds be passed for immoral purposes
in the transition from one State into
another. but there must be the actual
commercialzing of the vice. and the
intent to commercialize ii, in passing
the State line Needless to say, this
sort of construction of the law would
afford in most cases loop-hole Of es-
cape to those who are guilty; for all
concerned would undoubtedly be ready
to swear that there was no commercial
izing Of the vice and that no money
passed.; in fact, in most cases, it would
doubtless be possible to prove by testi-
mony that the case was precisely such
as the cases Of which Diggs and Cam.
inetti have been convicted.
Under the construction of the law
made by Attorney General McReynolds,
Diggs and CaminetH should have been
acquitted If that is the true meaning
of the law, it was hardly worth while
to pass it. But Judge Van Fleet con
strues the law therwise, and it seems
to US there is hardly any likelihood of
his construction being overruled.
In tho meantime. what about Cam
inetti Is father, who is made by his of
fee a guardian of the shores of this
country from foul immigration, such as
would be described as Of the nature Of
the case in which his son has been con
victed7 1t surely is up to President
Wilson to say whether a man involved
through family ties In this sort of
taint is the proper sort Of man to guard
Of vice. Undoubtedly, the elder Cam
inetti would take precisely the view
that Attorney General McReynolds
takes of the law. IF President Wilson
continues the elder Caminetti in his
Office as Commissioner of Immigration,
the conclusion would be inevitable that
he also construes the law in the same
way that his Attorney General does.
And so the United States may be sub
ject TO an invasion Of this sort Of vice.
untroubled by any interference from
Commissioner Caminetti