p. 144 | Increase of Crime by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Mar 4, 1886

Increase of Crime.

By Editor

SINCE our personal knowledge of California, no other year has opened with such a fearful list of high crimes as the present. And we notice that a large number of the worst crimes are committed by criminals who have been pardoned for similar offenses by the Governor. This abuse of the pardoning power is fast making our criminal courts a farce; for there is little use to spend time and money to convict, when the execution of the sentence is so often prevented by the act of the Governor. We hope the laws may be so changed that convicted villains cannot be turned loose to prey upon society. Their pardon emboldens them in their future career of crime.

The spirit of lawlessness and of disregard of rights is almost all-prevailing; and we fear for the future, for to-day California rests under the disgrace of having a muzzled press. The "freedom of the press" has been our national boast,—a boast which the great State of California can no longer make.