The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1885-11-04
HoanIIn IN IT >,

In this issue of the~lHRoNIcLE appears
the report of the Grand Jury for this
term of the district court in Gallatin
County-a report, the contents OF which
are of vital importance to all residents Of
Gallatin county, not only because the
conduct of county affairs is fit subject
for popular interest, but because the
honesty, integrity and business ability OF
some Of the most prominent resi-
dents Of the county have been there
In attacked.
The Grand Jury report is chiefly de-
voted to charges, recommendations and
suggestions based upon the work OF two
investigators. w. w. Wylie and R. H..
Crawford, alleged to be experts in that
business, appointed at last term OF the
district court to examine the books and
accounts of the county, and as it clearly
appears from the report itself the find
ings of expert WV. Wylie is the found
alton for all these charges, recommend
atoms and suggestions made by the
Grand Jury.
The charges are serious-veTy serious.
They go the extreme length OF saying
that "some of our late county officials"
have 'in many instances committed
criminal offenses in the discharge OF
their official duties" Passing over the
technical objection that it is impossible
TO commit criminal offense I'm the dis
charge of his official duty" the CHRcNIcLE
will avail itself of its public position and
arraign the grand jury for neglect o.
duty as serious as that which it charges
against the county officials The grand
jury was charged by the court to inquire
into all probable offenses and, if any of
lenses were found to have been commit
ted, to present acknowledgements against
the offenders. Here in the report Of the
grand Jury we find that they charge
'ssome of our late county officials" with
criminal offenses," but they present no
indictments in the premises. Were the
grand jury unmindfdl of their oaths
becausc they were week-kneeded and
cowardly7 Or did they make criminal
charges when they knew'it had no foun-
dation upon which to base Judicial
test? These are questions for all concern
ed to ponder and for the members OF the
grand jury to answer at their leisure.
We do not desire to ling any pollorai
issue into this criticism, but wee must
state few facts of political significance
that may assist in arriving at conclu-
sipns OF the two experts, Mr.. w. w.
Wylie is a republican and Mr.. K. ID
Crawford democrat The district at
torney, Judge III. n. Blake, is a republi-
can, and he il the adviser and manjpula-
tor Of grand jury proceedings. Without
having taken a party poll of the grand
jury we will say that, on information
and belief, we regard its complexion as
republican; but we will also say that we |
do not believe that the political feeling
of the members of the grind jury infia-
enced their report, whatever the feeling /
of their advisers may have done. The
late county officials" who are impaied
on the grand iury's sharp stick are all
democrats who laid aside their official
footwear to give place to gentlemen OF
republican sentiment. We merely men
ton these facts as matters worth record
ing; perhaps they will net assist the
argument.
1t appears that Messrs. Wylie and
Crawford divided their work, Mr.. Wylie