Daily Los Angeles herald., 1882-04-08
RUNNING FROM PILLAR TO POST.
The Sunday Law Farcs-Ths County to b.
Mulcted in Heavy Sums, With No Result
Mastery Strategy in the Interest of the
League Of Freedom and Old Oalifornia Gus.
toms.

1
League Of Freedom and Old California Gus.
toms.
| When the pernicious Sunday law
agitation, started in the interest OF
q statute which had fallen into q
desuetude of over twenty years,
gained noticeable head, the HER
AID deprecated it on the ground
that it would prove abortive, that
bad blood between neighbors
would be engendered, and that the
only practicable and tangible result
would be to mulct the county of
Los Angeles, whose main and
most enviable distinction is now,
and will be in tho future, the pro.
ducti0n of excellent wines and
brandies. in heavy sums. That our
judgment was well founded has
been confirmed by the issue thus
far. The arraignment of that ex-
cellent citizen, and good mar from
every point of view, Herr Jacob
Philippi, proved to be the fiasco
we announced it would be
from the beginning. The party
of God aud Morality and of
Great Moral Ideas, viz, the Re.
publican party, early announced
the doctrine Of the "Higher
Law" whose victorious progress
is now being witnessed in
Los Angeles in the determined
struggle which is being made by
the League of Freedom against the
prevalence OF the spirit which die.
tated the New England "Blue
Laws" II Is something like the
early fight against the Fugitive
Slave Law. Herr Jacob walked
forth from his first trial a free man.
The jury felt that, in the attem pied
revival of a law which had been
almost forgotten, an outrage was
sought to be perpetrated on an es-
tim able citizen.
Appalled, by the failure OF their
first carefully considered assault,
the advocates of this intolerant
Renaissance concluded to employ
strategy. Constable Ling having
summoned his jury impartially
from all classes of citizens, as
proven by the failure to agree of
the jury, it was thought that in
Constable Lockwood would be
found a tower of strength. The
consequence was that, yesterday
morning, when the case of Sam
Prayer was called up in Judge
Adams's Court. a venire of sixty
jurors, most estimable citizens,
was on hand, whom the vigiiant
attorneys of the defendant CLASH.
hed-with what accuracy we do
not pretend to say-as biased on
the question at issue.
As q consequence, the Messrs.
White and Godfrey, attorneys
for Prayer, after some little
preliminaries, produced an aft.
davit, signed by the defendant, in
which he set forth generally that
he did not believe that, owing to
bias, he could get fair trial in
Los Angeles township. The stat.
ute provides that, on such an affi-
davit, being presented, the Justice
shall grant change of venue to
some other Justice of the same or
OF an adjoining township.
Judge Adams, after u careful in
spection OF the statute and several
consultations with the Assistant
District Attorney, conceded the
legal point and dismissed the ex-
pectant jurors The scene at this
point was highly interesting. The
defense asked that the case should
be sent out 10 San Fernando for
trial. The Assistant District At
torney announced that he would
accept any other township but San
Fernando. Mr.. White then
promptly suggested Anaheim.
Still Judge Morgan objected. Santa
Ana shared the same fate. Finally,
as a compromise, and by stipula-
ton, the trial Of Prayer was sent 10
the Justice of San Antonio town.
ship.
The second trial OF Herr Jacob
Philippe, set for yesterday morning
ia Judge Fishers Court, shared the
same fate. The affidavit of bias
was promptly filed, the statute was
paraded in due form, and the
Messrs. White and Godfrey again
emerged triumphant.
The HERALD feels obliged to re-
iterate it's original prediction that
the county will be put to great ex-
pense, but that nothing practical
will result from these trials save
an int0lerable outlay to the citizen.
The defendants have precisely
the same rights as defendants in
other cases; that is to say, when
they see a jury which they think
rightly or wrongly-is "stuff.dr
for conviction, to file their affida-
Wit saying so, and thus obtaining u
change of venue. We believe now,
as we believed and said at first,
that the case will present a re.
markable resemblance to the deed
of a certain potentate, celebrated
by Dryden, in the lines,
The King of France, with forty thous-
and men,
Marched up the hill and then marched
down again.
After all the marchings and
countermarchiugs~ in this Blue
Law comedy, the great, staring
result,will De "Costs to Los Ange.
les county"