The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-11-09
THE GRAND JURY REPORT,

We desire again to press upon the attention
Of the law officers Of the State end other
officials whose duty 1t may be to prosecute
the matter, the special report Of the Grand
Jury. made In August last. relative to the
State Printer. In that report, drawn up by
citizens OF high character. the gravest charges
are inslnuated. Ii not directly made, against
the Printer. That official Immediately ap-
piled to the Governor, soliciting a prompt and
thorough examination OF the charges in the
report. But the courts were closed and the
Governor had no power TO organize q commit
tee whose verdict would have been final and Of
tCial. Hence for three months the State Prin~
ter and his associates In business have been
forced to rest under tho most damaging i'm
putations. To honorable men this could not
but have been extremely CALLING. Happily
no considerable portion OF the community
attached much Importance to the charges.
But masked enemies, as well as men who are
always disposed to believe evil Of their fellows,
have harped upon this report and made It the
text OF the most offensive and coWardly at
tacks. We have borne this wrong with such
patience as we could command, conscious that
when the courts opened the law officers Of the
State would promptly prosecute tho matter,
and that the result would be d full and COM
plete vindication of the Printer. In August
last he solicited an Investigation by the Chief
Executive Of the State; he now demands that
the proper official shall proceed without
further delay to vigorous prosecution Of the
charges contained In the report of the Grand
Jury. In the first place. the public interest
4 is
public justice requires that he shall be con-
victed, punished and disgraeed. In the seq
ond place, the Printer and his associates are
entitled 10 q prompt trial, and o. full and
speedy vindcatlon Il the charges are shown
TO be false. It is the worst and most cruel
tyranny to compel public official and gentle
man to rest under charges that touch his good
name as well as his business interests, and the
State Printer does not intend to be subjected
to any such tyranny He now demands Of
the proper authority q judicial investigation
and trial, and he demands that the investlga-
ton and trial shall be prosecuted with the ut
most vigor and zeal. He wants no partiality
shown him, no whitewashng investigation
and verdict II the charges In the report be
true, he is public criminal and should be
condemned and exposed as such. This Is his
view Of the case, and he desires that he shall
be prosecuted from that standpoint and with
O. determination on the part of the State TO
learn the whole truth for the purpose Of pro-
tecting the public interests.
We regret to trouble our readers again
with this subject, but our good name has
been attacked by a Grand Jury, composed Of
well known citizens, in @ speeious and plausi-
BILE report which has been circulated from
one end OF the State to the other; printed and
reprinted and discussed to our damage. We
cannot, therefore, but feel very great con-
Germ to have as prompt and speedy an inves-
tigation as possible. and D verdict that will
counteraet the evil the report has done us.