Arizona weekly citizen., 1885-11-07
GRAND JURY REPORT.
The Result of One Months ENertion and
 Five Thousand Dollars Expense
U. S. UEANp JkI hOOM, T TUcsON, Oct. 2S, 1885. !

FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT.
 SR:-On the 2Sth of Sept, 1885, we,
 as legally empsrelled grand jurors in } and for the first judicial district of Ari- zona, received the charge of the court di-
 recting us as body to justly and faithfully, to thoroughly and conscien- tiously examine into all matters affecting and pertaining to the administration of federal affairs in this district In our inquiry into matters appertaining fofed- eral officers and office, our usefulness
 has been impaired by not always being able to command the proper person to
 consult, as the U. $. district attorney
 was party involved in some of the in
 vestigatiOns We had under eonsiders-
 ton. We have, however, endeavored
 faithfully and impartially to inquire into
 every case of alleged infraction of law
 or abuse of power on the part of any
 government official. That in one instance
 at least private property has been ille-
 gally seized and a sale of the same at
 tempted by the marshal acting under the
 advice of the district attorney, in fragrant
 violation of statutory provision, We
 think is fully borne cut by the evidence
 taken before us, which We seal up for
 transmission to tke next U. $. grand ju-
 ". From further evidence taken before
 us We also believe that there was a cul-
 pablo neglect of duty on the part of
 U. $. Marshal Dake, where great pecu-
 uiary loss and hardship was inflicted on
 a private citizen in not carrying out
 contract for the sale of 5000 cords of
 wood, after having received the sum of
 S2300 upon such contract, and on terms
 more advantageous to the government
 than were afterwards obtained.
 SURVEYOR GENERAL.
 We find that the law and the manual of instructions from the general land of | flee at Washington directs the surveyor | general to appoint sufficient number of | competent surveyors as deputies. who | shall receive all contracts for surveying | We also find that in the surveyor gener-
 al's office contracts have been given out | by Surveyor General Robbins to personal | favorites who were not competent survey ors, and such contracts have been ap- proved by the present surveyor general, where the evidence was attainable, if he
 was not personally cOgniZant of the fact that such contractors were not surveyors and the work was not done under their direction or personal supervision. Clearly under the law governing these matters it was the duty of the surveyor general to refuse or withhold his approval of these contracts, and to bring the matter tO the attention of the U. $. district attorney. that proper legal proceedings might Ie instituted to set them aside and punish the parties thereto.
 SMUGGLING.
 Although We have been unable to gather sufficient facts tO find more than one indictment for smuggling, yet, that smuggling IS extensively carried on all Nr nAs | In fact, so common has it become that 1t Is DO longer regarded by many reputable citizens as a crime, but is Oftentimes en- gagged m as n legitimate business. That no real effort has been made by the gen eral government to abate this evil which operates severely against merchants aud importers who endeayOr to conduct their business according to law, is shown by the facts that the government has but one mounted GUS tom inspector to guard the line from Fl PasO, Texas, to San Diego, Cal, a dis taaee of about 1900 miles. The gov ernment should furnish a special agent of the treasury with sufficient force of assistants to enable him to suppress this illegal traffic and promptly enforce the revenue laws, or on the other hand to allow beef cattle, cigars, mescal and to- bacco to be imported from Mexico free from duty.
 ELECTION FRAUDS.
 In a republican form O, government the purity of the elections is the bulwark | 1 of liberty, and the man who sells his vote stOul1 be disfranchised, and he who would alter the will of the people as ex- |; pressed through the ballot box IS an em- bryO revOlutionist, bandit of society who { robs the citizen of those rights held sa- cred for him by the constitution and laws { of our country. We believe that gross , frauds were Perpetrated In the election r last fall, and that culPable and criminal { irregularities wers peypetfated in the t election returns. We have evidence that b certificates were issued in this district by D a registrar of election, signed by him in | blank, to be issued to parties wishing to n vote, regardless of citizenshipOr the oath il which they were required by law to h make. Voters were bought in the pub D lie streets, illegal votes admitted and the a rights of the law abiding citizen thwart- h cd bya series of unblushing frauds, such as We trust may never again be perpe n trated inthe territory. 2
 POLYGAMY. h
 We have endeavored in every manner i' possible to obtain evidence upon the po- U ' lygamOus feature of Mormonism, and re- o yret to state. with but little success, as h put one indictment has been found for ~ of the law concerning 1t. The evidence is conclusive that polygamy is l' openly advocated from the pulpit of s' he Mormon church and is generally o Drcticed by the Mormons of this territo- E Y, but the difficulty Of obtaining sufli- I ,ient proof to indict them IS very great. o These religionists live by themselves in A solated communities entirely under the ~ control of their church. Every effort is h lsed, and heretofore with success, to h prevent those not in accord with the doc ol rines of the church from learning any s' hing definite of their domestic or social n, lie. A Mormon bishop may have a ol iozen wives and yet be protected to aD V ,xtent that he may for years defy all ef- ll orts tO detect him. It is the duty of the m district attorney, marshal, and in fact all n' ,OOd citizens, to try by every means at T