Glass Is Convicted by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Sep 11, 1907

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 33, No. 37.

Glass Is Convicted

By Editor

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroly furnished unto all good works." Then the most profitable resource for any one is a knowledge of, and obedience to, the word of God. When one is "thoroly furnished unto all good works," what more does he need?

The writer had the privilege of attending the recent Los Angeles camp-meeting in Southern California Conference, August 23-25. It was a splendid meeting, one of the best that we ever attended. It was also a very large meeting. The immense four-pole tent was filled again and again in the preaching services. The tent will seat from twelve to fifteen hundred, we should judge, and it was several times more than filled. The meeting was a long one, lasting eighteen days. Coming away before the meeting closed, we can not give even a summary of the results of the conference. This we will give in later numbers. Suffice to say that Elder G. W. Reaser was unanimously re-elected president of the conference, and Mr. H. H. Winslow secretary and treasurer. It was a wonderfully liberal conference in its gifts to missions and outside interests. We will also give a summary of these in our next report. We were very glad indeed of the privilege of being at such a meeting and gathering of its inspiration. The Southern California Conference is a splendid conference, and it has an excellent field and a grand membership. It also has heavy burdens and we pray and hope that those who are called to bear these burdens will have the strength and wisdom vouchsafed them to continue their successful work for the building up of God's cause and to spread abroad the glory of His name.

Those who have been watching the news of the day have been impressed by the increasing number of serious railroad and ocean steamship accidents. But we are glad to note that a serious accident was avoided a few days since by the watchfulness of the assistant yard-master at Reno, Nev. A culprit was seen bending over the rail tying dynamite to it so that it would be exploded when the limited train would pass over it a few moments later. He was detected in the act but escaped capture. The explosive was removed just in time to avert the calamity that would surely have followed. What can be the mental make-up of persons that will do such deeds? How can any one in cold blood deliberately plan to murder a lot of people that he has never seen, and does not even know who they are? It is certainly very unpleasant to think that even one individual could be found in the human family who is so degraded as to attempt such crimes. But the evidence shows that there are many of them, and in all parts of the world.

Glass Is Convicted.

THE trial of Louis Glass, manager of the Pacific States Telephone Company, ended in his conviction on August 30. This case has attracted the attention of the whole country, and to quite an extent of other countries as well. The officials of San Francisco, with only a few exceptions, had gone into the "grafting" business on a most extensive, wholesale basis. The street-car company paid big sums to the city councilmen, the mayor, and the boodling "attorney" of the administration to get valuable franchises for which they should have paid the city. But by dealing with the boodling officials direct they got what they wanted at a better figure than if they had gone to the people who were the owners of the franchises. The telephone company gave another vast sum to these same officials in order to "persuade" them to keep out a rival company by refusing them a franchise to do business.

These two powerful corporations were behind the corrupt officials, and there is strong talk that there were other and still more powerful corporations behind them, but that indictments against them are not ready yet. They felt so secure in their wealth and influence that they thought it was not possible to reach them with the law. But the administration "attorney" has pleaded guilty, the mayor of the city is convicted and sent to the penitentiary, and is now lying in jail awaiting a decision in regard to a new trial in the higher court. And following him the prosecution has succeeded in convicting the president of the telephone company, altho it took two trials in which to do it, the jury failing to agree in the first trial. One of the big men of the street-car company is to have his trial right away, and the successes already attending the work of the district attorney are causing the wealthy criminals to tremble. It is most encouraging that "respectable crime" is thus receiving such a setback. Had it not been for this success in checking the crime that was rampant there, it is hard to tell what would have been the condition of the city by now.