The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-12-08
California Against the World


The plain and unacceptable import of the decision
of the California supreme court in denying the par
don appeal of Warren K. Billings is message to
America This message is ito hell with the rest of
the United States we will administer justice in the
good old California way
We do not think there is anything unfair
aggerated in this version of the anmus behind the
decision 1t is hardly necessary to review again the
absence of any factual logical basis for the decision.
The proof that every important witness against
Mooney and Billings was a perjurer liar, both;
the petition of the living jurors in the Mooney
for new trial pardon: the ardent work of the trial
Judge Franklin Griffin, for a trial clemency,
which has gone on for thirteen years. the reopening
of the case last summer and the discovery of John
Macdonald, which blew the top off any remaining
scintila of evidence which remained against the
men; the admission of prosecutors Cunha and
Brennan that they realized that they had direct
evidence against Mooney Billings in 1s16-all these
are part Of historic record-they old story
To this we now may add the devastating comment
Of Associate Justice William H. Langdon, the abest
lawyer on the California high court, in commenting
the decision of his colleagues:
Considered either as an argument of an advocate
or as judicial review of the evidence, the con-
sodated majority report is unsound and indefensble
-. There is not now even the semblance of a case
against him (Bings)"
We recognize the fact that most of the judges on
the California supreme court have not established
regulations as learned or brilliant lawyers. But we
are not willing to concede that their intellects and
logical sense are so low that they actually imagine
they are administering justice in the of Mooney
and Billings.
Their decision was not judicial decision 1t was
a political decision, like the bred Scott and many
other historic decisions of courts. 1t voice
fornia.
Further. may concede that there are inter-
ested parties-great public utilities and other in
dustrial organizations fear Mooney and Billings
personally and want to keep them behind bars. But
not willing to admit that this fear is sufficient
to account for the decision of the court.
It is plainly defiance to the rest of the country
and to the world. We wonder, however if on calm
second thought California will want to take the eco
nomic risk which may be inherent in this stand
Will she care to take the chance of tempting
many American lovers of fair play and justice to fol-
low the precedent of their colonial forefathers when
they decided upon non-intercourse with Britain?
DO Californians really wish to lead many Amer
leans to declare California products convict products
on the ground that California has convicted herself
of worse crime than that with which Mooney and
Billings are charged?
We hardly believe it conceivable that California
win want her fruit to bear the blight of California
Justice" It is scarcely credible that she will invite
any large group to put moral Ian on California
goods until Justice is done to Mooney and Billings.
California hardly can be sufficiently short-sighted
to encourage any movement to brand California
fruit with design compounded of the lkeneSses of
Mooney and Billings against the background of the
grim gates of San Quentin and Folsom prisons
It would be amazing If California does not that
she likely to drive the lberalized laborers who have
purchased her fruit to seek their supplies from Flor
Ida growers in the future More than half Of the de-