Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-08-28
AFTER THE BOOSTERS.
JUDGE rEARsoSs' INSTRUCTIONS TO THE
GRAND JURY.

A True Bill Required in hc Case Of Every
Person ShosH 10 Have Corrupdy
Solicited or Received Brije
IN The Riot LOSES Matter.
HARRISBURG, Pa. August, 25.-As the
trial of Kemble, Salter, Leisenring.
Crawford and others, accused Of attemp.
ted bribery in connection with the bin
to reimburse persons who lost property
by the Pittsburg riots, approaches the
interest increases. There was a large
| crowd in the Court House to-day 10 hear
Judge Pearson's charge on the riot brb.
cry subject The Judge appeared very
earnest, and convinced all within hear.
ing Of his voice that he was in hearty
sympathy with the movement 10 punish
bribery in the Legislature.
The Judge said that bribery was high.
/ ly injurious TO society and dangerous TO
public morals and 10 the general admin.
istration of the Government of the
country. 81 speak of IT, gentlemen"
said he, "ns "A crime which strikes nj.
most at the foundations of society, be.
cause If, instead Of having fair honest,
proper legislation, according 10 the best
discretion and judgment OF the legisla.
/ tors, we are to have them bought over
TO vote for measures or vote against
measures which the public requires. or
which are injurious to the public, either
the one or the other, then say il il
dangerous to society at large, and we
should most carefully guard against
anything OF that kind. 1t is not mere.
ly person soliciting, but the persor
agreeing TO receive or actually receiving,
that ought to be held up to public scorn
and contempt by being indicted in the
Criminal Court.
The Judge then quoted the Constitu.
tIonal provisions against bribery and
the law in pursuance thereof, and said (:
ANY open address, persuasion or coax.
ing would not come within the act. but
the moment any office. money! article
OF value, or promise Of advantages, il Of
fercd 1t brings the act within the stat.
ute. lr order to make the offence
charged here you have only TO inquire
was there an offer or eudcAvor 10 in.
tlucnce any member Of the Legislature
10y Offering or promising them money,
promtsing them anything Of value,
promising them any advantages Of any
Office, any advantage Of any kind Was
that done II 80, IL would be an at.
tempt to solicit them TO do what il H.
legal, and is an attempt to bTibe and
unlawful solicitation. All that il nee
essary TO be proved IL that the accused
solicited members Of the Legislature TO
vote in particular way, under prom.
ise of procuring money for them or OF.
ierIng TO give them money. telling them
49,. .-r.,,fl ~
they could have money by doing 10 and
50. Bribery has long been prohibited
in Pennsy lvanin, and yet. to the scan.
dial 81 our S,ate--l hope it is false.
hope il is only scandal-it has been
urged. and said hundreds and hundreds
OF times, that such and such bill was
procured by bribery. Ii demeans our
State, it brings us into contempt with
our sister States, causes us 10 be belit.
tied abroad, TO be belittled at home
Injuries the legislative body with the
community. The very suspicion that
they take bribes is an injury 70 them,
an injury 10 society in genei -szzaa
they are led 10 distrust the laws Tfar
such Legislature passes and TO disre.
gard them entirely. Therefore IL is
high offence against society, and one
that should be most carefully guarded
against by Courts and juries, punished
inhexibly and without any hesitation"
Judge Pearson also instructed the
Grand Jury to proceed against mem
bers in whose cases no indictments
have been framed, but whom the evi-
dence submitted to the Jury implicates
in corrupt solicitation OF the members
nF The / aasataNpwa ~
agreeing TO accept bribe. "In this
way" he said, neither the persons
charged in the indictments nor the
members Of the Legislature themselves
can escape punishment. You cannot
act upon newspaper reports. You have
no right to act upon resolutions Of the
legislature. You act upon the evidence
produced before you, and that alone
and If that makes out a case of either
bribery or receiving a bribe against the
person wh6 is charged, find a true bill.
II IL Is against others who are not charg.
ed, make presentment of them to the
District Attorney so that the whole
matter shall be properly and fully in.
vestigated in Court. so that we may get
to the bottom Of these things. Some.
times committees of the Legislature ex.
anime such subjects. They have no
the same power the Courts have in
compelling the attendance and testimo-
NY of witnesses. Sometimes they are
not very anxious to find out what has
been done; sometimes they are not
very willing to expose whether they
have been guilty of receiving bribes.
They don't want TO tell anything that
fnEna rlann DttN sen 0za fn HssH
everything about il. We want to get
to the the truth OF the matter, and get
to the bottom of il, and see who is gull
ty and who is not guilty, or whether
any person is guilty, or whether il Is a
mere general SANDER. If the common.
wealth produces witnesses 10 show the
truth of the allegations made In the in.
dictments. find true bills, without the
least regard to whom IL will strike
without the least regard 20 the charac-