, 1874-09-08
THE LATE GRAND.JUnY INVEsT1o ATT

THE LATE GRAND-JURY INVESTIGATION
LII Wow Of tho abortivo efforts Of tia Grapl
Jury to bring certain county oglcera to leea1
accountability for corruption in oflco, and In
Wow Of tho fact TINT tho Investigation was de-
featod by whit the Grand Jury doclaroa to bo
1also Swearing, 1t becomes mnttcr OF groat
public concern whether society docs not need
son1o additional md moro oifootual u,eaaurca for
its protection. Hcrc Is caao whore tho Grand
Jury declare In oxprcss torms that toro waa TILL
| doubted corruption, and yet, so porjurcd woro
tho witnesses, TINT thore was no prospect of q
convection, aud 10 the officials escaped oven
trial. Tho City Of New York wns similarly
governed fow yonrs ago. Corruption was tho r,lo.
extending oyon to tho coutrol OF Grand Jurice
and courts Of Justice. It required moral reyo-
luton to bronx up tho iniquity, and out Of that
revolution camo MI act Of tho Legislature which
provided In substance that, whenever any tlroo
or five responsible citizona shall mako tormni
complaint OF corruption against any public
officer, high or low, aud flo tho na.no in any
court of record, tho Court shall thoroupou order
MI investigation. 1u this investigation tho
whole power of the Court is given to compel tho
attendance Of porsonH aud papera, and tho
oit1cal records OF tho accused arc subjected to
scrutiny. Evon the officer himself Is compelled
to appear and bo examined. Tho law provides
tint IL tho charges DO not sustained tho nc
cuHera shall pay the costs of tho proceedings,
Ii tho charges be sustained, thon tho ot}lcor has
to pay tho costs Of tho investigation and is aul,-
1ect to immediate removal. IIo is also liablo to
any further penalties which tho Law may attach
to the crime. But tho grcat outl is accomplished
OF exposing tho corruption and having tic d,B
houost officer removed from tho trust ho has
betrayed.
We have in this city IN organization Of citi-
zens hnviug tho very commoudablo purpose OF
exercising .vlSilant scrutiny Of all municipal
mattors, to tho end TINT fraud and corruption may
DO prevented. and honesty and economy pro-
motod. Tho inability Of tho Grand Jury in tho
recent Investigation to bring the guilty to trial
Bhows how futile must bo tho efforts of tho
cltszons' Association under tho prosont ssnto of
the law. Can TINT organization, therefore, do
botter than to addross themselves to tho task OF
having law enacted in this State similar to TINT
Of New York? Under such LAW. Investigation
1olio"s promptly after accusation, aud redreas,
III tho way OF tho dismissal Of tho guilty o}cor.
can bo lad without delay. The first thing nooded
when an officer is detoctel III mulfeasauco |
is his removal That is essential to tho protoc-
tion Of tho public. # tho powor Of removal OK |
'hted nov. who would question tho Justice Of
c1ecting the guilty County Commissioners
Who ia there to object to such law aud to such
d measure for tho protection OF tho public ? No
honest officer will over hesitate to hayo his af-
fairs investigated; on the contrary, ho will al-
ways court such Investigation. The fact that IN
oicor refuses to havo his transactions inyosti-
gated furnishes tho best roason in tho world
Why such Investigation Should take place. Un~
lor this law in Now York, several dishonest off,
'ora havo beon exposed and removed. Without
'uc1 law, they, likc our County Commission
'ra, would hago de1od the public, and continued
heir villainy to the ond. With Buch y law
II this State, every public officer will be oon-
tantly menacod with an investigation. Office
loldlng may become less profitable, but 1t will
70 moro honorable. In this city such 1aw
'nckod by vigilant Ctizons' Association, will
10 ali evor-present admoniton against crime.
With such law. the Into City Treasurer could
ave been brought into court, with all ils bank-
ooks and all tho bank officers, any day Ia iho
car, and compelled 10 make full disclosure.
nd tho City Of Chicago would now be three or
our hundred Thousand dollars better oil.
ioW TO HAVE a SECRETARY OF THE
TREASURY,
Mr. damallol Bradford, Of Boston, has sug-
catod plan for tho accomplishment Of tlat