Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1918-11-29

The Governors Statement
Governor Stephens, in commut-
ing the sentence of Thomas J.
Mooney to life Imprisonment, gave
out the following statement:
"On July %, 1916, ten persons
men, women and children-were
killed and about fifty others
wounded in a bomb explosion dur
ing a preparedness parade in the
city of San Francisco. The parade
was a patriotic manifestation into
which the people of the city had
entered with much spirit and loyal
impulse. Manifestly, because Of
the occasion chosen, hostility to the
nations defense measures must
have had part in actuating the
preparation of so horrible a deed.
1t is not unreasonable to assume
that a sympathy or even a definite
relationship existed between those
murders and the propaganda and
violence then being engaged in
throughout the country by agents
of the German government.
The case as presented to the
California courts was that of mur
der, without further evidence of
motive than the impossible tenets
of anarchists; whose sympathies
for the German cause in the war
are well known. Their wild paci-
fist theories fitted into the wide
spread activities of the kaisers
agents in this country.
Waited for Court Action
"A number of persons of pro-
nounced anarchistic tendencies
were arrested shortly after the ex-
plosion, and of these, Warren X.
Billings was convicted and SEN
fenced to life Imprisonment and
Thomas J. Mooney found guilty and
sentenced to be hanged.
$50 long as the avenues of ap-
peal to the courts remained opened
to Mooney and he was availing
himself thereof, | deemed it i'm
proper for executive authority to
interfere, Although the constjtu-
ton of California clothes the gov
ernor with power to exercise
clemency at any time after con-
viction, it is important, so far rs
practicable, not to intrude into any
criminal case until the judicial
branch has finally disposed of it.
Only recently has final action been
taken by the United States Supreme
court and the case of the people
vs.. Thomas j. Mooney placed
squarely before me.
In considering the Mooney case,
| have had before me the urgent
appeal of the president of ihe
United States, that l grant corn
mutation.
Originally, in January OF this
year, l received a letter from the
president asking me if it would
not be possible to postpone the ex-
ecution of Mooney until he could be
tried upon one of the OF Ter Indict-
ments against him.
"1nasmuch as appeal already had
been taken to the supreme court of
California, which appeal itself
acted as stay of the execution,
there was at that time no occasion
for action on my part. l take it
that the president was not correct
ly informed as to the status of the
case"
Not Capital Labor FIGHT
The statement reviews the case fl
ly and quotes in their entirety the t,
messages from President Wilson,
which the action now taken by t
governor was suggested. The commut
ton, says the governor, reduces I
case to the status of that of Warren
Billings.
Il refuse to recognize this case as
any fashion representing clash |
tween capital and labor" the govern
said. and he characterizes as absu
the propaganda that would make Moo
ey appear as a MARTYR to the cause
labor. In support of this statement.
quotes a letter from Alexander Bez