, 1876-04-30

car. Again and sgain have Grand 5urics attempted
Investigation: but fur this jury learn. the
majority Of the Grand Juriea Of late years have been
mere creatures Of tho County Commissioners, and
hence their labor has been to conceal rather than e1-
pose the practices of their CREATORS. In some in
Stances where jures have been otherwise drawn they
have reported their belief In tho existence Of ggan-
tic syatem Of fraudulent practices pcEmeatng almost
every department Of county ofcaalsn: but OWING to
the encouuteriu3 constantly arery OF appareut
nore MOI than a moral Indictment sach has been the
experience Of this Grand Jury. Everywhere indica-
tons Of rank corruption have 9een discovered. ont
right perjury, which, owing to their limited time, the
jury have not been able to overcome. It ia he hope
earned on BY their succeasorn, until II possible the
enormous deposits OF county and other local corrup-
ton shall be laid bare. Hero and there the jury havs
succeeded In obtaining view Of what ia beneath The
specimens thus obtained demonstrate that much Of
tho length and breadth Of county management are
supported upon stratum Of rascnty and corruption
whose extent is beyond measurement
Such investigations az there has been time to make
have, in the main, been limited to the department Of
public buildings. 4 uno disees omnes. In other
WORDS inference is fair and Logical one that il
this branch OF the public service he characterized by
fraud. the s&e is true Of all other branches In the
Of the public buildings, the conclusion to the
grossest and most 1nexcusable incompetency, act
I've, btnzen dishonesty, beyond al dispute. The
ter eptomized. It viii thers be shown TINT it Is the
common practice to let contracts not to the lowest and
most responsible bidders but to such competitors
have availed themselves OF certan class OF agencies
which bur the entrance to tho rooms OF the county
officials. Not merely is 1t the that cheapness and
responsibility are not ade essentials in tho letting Of
contracts hut has appeared to the jury IN evidence
the performance Of the work when contracted for Of
ten-perhsps eenerauyfals below tho specifications;
pst-es paid, and ~ in the quality Of it's work.
AluEion has just been made to q certain class OF
agencies which bar the entrance Of competitors to the
rooms and consideration Of the County Commissioners
With to these the jury prepared to speak
in no doubtful terms Ths evidence to their exist
ence, characer and many Of their acts, ia clear and
beyond mistake. It shows that two men exercise .
RIGHT Of control oyer the doings Of tbs County Board
and that they farm out&ho good will and official
to the value of the favors sought These two men,
C. r. rER1oI.Ar AND JOSEPH HOGAN,
have divided the controlled BY the County
respectively reigns supreme Across tho domain
troed " these two pass the only rcads leading
to tho favor Of the County Board Every man who
travels along these forced to pay heavy toll
for the right Of passage No mutter how honorable
the competitor or how reasonable the terms which be
profers, he cannot pass without agreement with
the other Of these men to pay them heavily for
the 1r1vilege-
is merely scandalous in iself but it forces ost
damaging conclusions with reference to the officials
whom they thus keep guard It is impossible to
believe that County Board controlled by an honest
majority, would, for einGle momeut, permit these
two men to stand where they do, without knowing
their character and sharing their tn1omtoua gains.
blacknaller Of most malignant type. This cannot
but lie known to the County Commissioners; and know
ing ths and st permitting nun to retain his control
exActous, drives them tnferentAly into the degrad-
ing position Of being his accomplces. II the County
fact the partners Of this Periolst in his robber~
ies they nevertheless, by retaining him where be fs
force Affirmative conclusion MS to their oomplcty.
No viEtuous woman keeps about her Ips who go into
the market and openly bargain the sae Of her favuts
No irraproschable ruler permits bis antesooms 10 he
guarded by professional thieves who rob all who ap-
proach him in the interests Of cleency OF Of Justice
Nor Is it conceivable that for years, the County Com
issoners would permit their action to be controlled
by this dsreputabe person were theT integrity aboVs
repro4ch That he IL still tolerated that hu is allowed
with entire 1upuuity to thrust his uueieau and rapa
cious hands into the pockets Of each man who ap-
proachcs tie Board, is not merely most scandaous
imputation upon the moral character Of the Commits
sone1s, but it Is costly process fur the taxpayers
they 1euder for their services and this is f1ched in
turn. from the County Treasury. The County Board
they must submit to the conclusion that be commands
tho approaches to = den Of thieves:
In Summarizing the salient points Of the evidence
with reference what ia above outlined, rafereuca
will first he made to
THE VICIOUS SYSTEM OF LETTING CONTRACTS,
Several cases have come before tho jury, and in
one Of any importance has it been shown that the
and responsibility. The contract for tha piling and
foundations OF the county portion Of the Court
House was not given to the lowest bidder By many
thousands of dolars. Tho m4n who secured the job
Is not practical mechanic the disadvantage Of which
i shown il the faulty character of the work per-
formed. Witnesses have testified that the bondsmen
Offered by Mcneil, the lowest bidder, above
pic1on that he proposed. If these offered were
this the WORK vas given to higher bidder It an ad-
Vance OF neariy 20,000. There can be no ground
whatever for the pretense that this was done in the
interests of tue public The only logical explanation
is that the Commissioners we're either utterly blind
With reference 70 tbs public Ii good Or tha;
form Of personal ends Tue contracts for tue addition
to the County Hospital exhibit still more asrant
disregard Of economy and decent respect for the
opinions aud nghs Of the community. In tliis casc
the work Let whole to Se1ton at price many
other and entirely responsible competitors. Immedi-
atey after Sexton had thus teen given the entire
traet he .poie the gEesss portion Of i to The very
price at which he srblet portion OF the work uas ut
the same figures at which the eub-contractor had
Offered to do the work for the county; and, in another
instance. the subcontractor took portion At leas
prico than he had offered to do the came in his
bid to the County Board L. The letting Of
County Hospital and Insane Asylum, bid
der offered to furnish the rods 1t 70 cents per
the at the price, but to charge for the
work Of erection 80 far "a responsibility is
ed, there ~ was perhaps no q eLolse: but tho County
ths work to Kelly at additional cost Of several
thousand dollars. Other cases might have been gone
into but these three sufficient 10 show the manage
ment Of The County Board. We're = stock company Or
buaincss firm to find their Affairs thus managed by
their executive subordinates. rhera would not be
moments hesitation In arrsigning them either for in
competency dishonesty. These Commissioners are
servants Of the people. 1t is not their money,
hut that Of their employers which sLey thus Reckless
IL mismanage aud squander. They are In every way
guilty Of dishonozabe practices ii would 10 the
purchasing agent Of corporation who should con-
stantly ana knowingly pay more for goods than tho
market price, and then should increase his cupabnty
by himself receiving portion Of the amount ~ a
bribe for defrauding his empioyers-
Akin to thH scandaoua method Of letting contracts
is the extravaganza displayed In tho payment Of
tr4s. William Godie, an old and weli-known citizen,
swears that in extras anu the like $W00O more
paid on account Of the County Hospital than should
have been. After the sewerage in the Hospital was
put in, there was considerable amount paid for
additions, which work was dono by Handy who is
otherwise paid for experimenting the Hospital job
1nd who has than ordinarily intimate hustneas
relations with one Of tho County Commissioners
In TEE LGHTNINu-ROD JOB,
which bare- faced swindle the county pays 40
cents foot for wire that costs lG to 18 cents: tips
costing <1.45 zach paid for By the county at the