Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-12-23
Politics In the Grand Jury Room.

Politics In the Grand Jury Room.
The federal grand jury yesterday re-
turned indictments against seventy OF
more persons. charging them with par
ticipation in election frauds. If this
return be based on sufficient evidence,
and if it represent fair and impartial
action ON the part of the grand jury
and District Attorney Bliss, the city o1
st. Louis has great cause for congratu-
latiop that one radical step has been
taken toward the purif1cation OF our
elections. The REPUBLICAN is not
disposed to raise any question as to the
indictments returned, or to offer any
extenuation for the defendants thereto,
being content to trust 70 the a.blira-
ment of fair juries, who will pass upon
the evidence in open court. But there
are many indications which go to show
that the grand jury has done far less
torney Bliss far more than his. There
are indications that the proceedings up
10 this time have been grossly partisan
in characler-almost disgracefully so,
in fact-and that the interests of the
Republican party have been set above
those of the state. Unless appearan-
ces be very misleading, Mr.. Bliss has
acted part, at the close of long and
hitherto creditable service in his res
ponsible office, of which even his enc
mics did not suppose him capable
The REPUBLICANS information may
not be entirely Correct i'm all its details,
but enough is open'to the knowledge
of all men to warrant suspicion. For
instance, when in a strongly Demo-
cratic state Republican United States
marshal selects q grand jury, fifteen
out of eighteen of whom are Republi
cans, the preponderanceo of the repre-
sentatives of the minority party can
hardly be considered as accidental
When, again, certain of these jurors,
W ho were suggested to the marshal by
the Republican district attorney, prove
to be the most active and aggressive
membe.f of the body in An investiga-
ton So directed as TO discover mini
mum of Republican offenders and q
of Democratic evil doers.
the selections may fairly be regarded
as indicating partisan purpose.
But far more significant indication
is afforded by the c,nd oct of Mr., Bliss
The process OF the grand jury
was used tor summ0ning large num-
bers of witnesses - Ostensihly to the
grand jury room, but really to the office
of Mr.. Bliss. There they were made the
victims of star-chamber proceedings,
in which, without any restraint of
court, without counsel, and without
any suggestions from Mr.. Bliss or his
that it was their privilege
to refuse to answer, they We're put
through long and searching examine
tions. At these examinations an as
sistant circuit-attorney, a stenographer
and handwriting expert were present.
and the prisoners every word was TAX
en- down, and his every utterance made
the subject OF rigid cross-examinatIon.
He was not sworn, but unless possessed
of COZ siderable degree of intelligence
and experience, he was almost certain
to feel that he must defer to the men
who questioned him, and that the ex-
animation was part OF the process OF
the court. When he had been work
ed" to the satisfaction of his examiners,
he was told to go. If he made any
which could be regarded as
an admission of wroDg-doing, one of
the experts who heard him was sum-
moned by Mr.. Bliss to the grand jury
room, where. at the instance of Mr.. ..
Bliss, he detailed his understanding of p,
his ssevidence" thus elict. d, and this
was accepted as the basis for an indict-
ment. In this way large number of
witnesses no were suDpOenaed to at
tend the grand jury were intercepted,
never reached the jury-room at all, and
were trapped into compromising them
selves SO far as to admit of indictment.
The whole scheme was as neatly work
I'd as though Marshall Mcdonald or
some other private detective were
it.
BY this plan, it will be seen, Mr..
Bliss was enabled to determine exactly
W hat sort of evidence should go to the
grand jury, and to keep out anything
that he might deem it unwise to sub
nit. These facts beng known, it is
not surprising that very large major
ty of those against whom indictments
were found are Democrats. Tt is cred
bly, rep ,rted, in fact, that the jurors
were so well in line with Mr.. Bliss that
,ne OF them declared openly in the
ury-room that he must decline to be q |
party to any such partisan proceedings,
and, at the instance OF Mr.. Bliss, he
was excused from serving.
1t is not at all probable that any in
nocent man has been led into making
which can convict him of
crime, but it may well be asked wheth-
ar the interest of the government de-
maud that the federal officers shall
resort to such means as these for the
of the laws.
AS though to emphasize the evidence
IF misdirected zeal, the Republican
members of the grand Jury before adj
nurning adopted resolution recon-
nending that Mr.. Bliss do not vacate
The office of district-attorney, and that
he remain to prosecute the cases.
A greeably to this resolution he goes to |
to-day to seek 10 make ar
whereby, in case he goes
,ut If office, he will be retained as spec
al counsel tn prosecute these lndict- /
nents so strangely brought about
The Child In Printing Office.