Los Angeles herald., 1890-10-21
is THERE ANY LIMIT TO REPUBLICAN
HARDIHOODp

IS THERE ANY LIMIT TO REPUBLICAN
HARDIHOODP
About year ago an expose appeared
in the HERALD of the peculiar process
by which the taxpayers of Los Angeles
county were being milked for the benefit
OF an Antelope valley gang of justices
and constables. In one month $500
were taken from the treasury of this
county to swell the revenues OF con-
stable and his 'pard," the justice! 1t
really looked, for time, as if it would
be neck and neck between the Antelope
valley constable and the President of
the United States in the matter of
official emoluments.
The sweating taxpayer of Los Angeles
county, trying to ward off blows that
knock him nearly senseless in the tax
alton line, wishes to knew what the
matter is. He is obliged to put his
hand in his pocket and pass
over money in season and out
of season. In the memorable
interview in which Dick Swiveler tried
to assist his friend in an inroad on the
pocket of Little Nell's grandfather, he
said to that ratified old man, forks the
word" The Los Angeles taxpayer can
say to himself with truth that "fork'' is
the only word that he can remember in
the last three or four years. He is
always "forking," or getting ready to
''fork." his hard earned shekels.
He pays his money and he takes no
choice. He submits to destiny. The
taxes swell to unheard of figures. He
does not understand the process, and he
submits with the stolidity of a beast of
the field. He is the victim of people
like Rony Grain.
Who is Grain? OF the man person
ally we know nothing and care less. He
is the constable of Antelope valley, how
ever. He was arraigned for causing the
arrest and imprisonment of two inof-
fensive Mexicans, who, for their sins,
were obliged to pass through Antelope
valley on their way to seek work in
Kern county. They had committed no
crime. Their sole offense was poverty.
If a man can't be allowed his personal
freedom in the breezy expanses of An
telope valley, where, in the name of
heaven, can he be accorded this precious
privilege?
These Mexicans represented certain
amount of money to Constable Grain.
He therefore arrested them, brought
them down to Los Angeles and immured
them in jail, to the great loss of the Los
Angeles taxpayers. Grain was tried and
convicted by jury yesterday of the
crime of false arrest and imprisonment,
the jury not remaining out over ten
minutes.
As the persons who had been wronged
were citizens of Mexico, the Mexican
Consul at Los Angeles interested himself
in their case.
Grain, having been convicted, it be-
came the duty of Judge Shaw to SEN
tence him. The Judge was perfectly
well advised, we are bound to believe, of
this practice of running inoffensive peo-
pie into the county Jail in order to main
tain an Antelope valley justice and con-
stable. He knew that the authorities of
sister republic had taken lively in
terest in the matter. He knew all about
the way the taxpayers had been spoil
ated upon, and he knew all the specially
aggravating features of the case, and yet
he only fined Grain $75.
There are very few people living in Los
Angeles who will not call this an out
rage.
These Mexicans were honest sheep
shearers seeking employment. The evil
dence was clear that the constable in
tended to run them in to help out his
usual monthly, income, which, he con-
fided to an intimate, would have been
short save for that villainous expedient.
This man Grain has already cost the
county over $4,000 by his peculiar system
of hauling people into Los Angeles, to
be immured in Jail for nothing.
The Lancaster contingent subp9naed
to give Grain good character have
drawn out of the county treasury up to
date $35S.30, as witness fees, on the plea
that they are too poor to pay their own
expenses.
The justice of the peace OF Antelope
valley swore that he was INDECENT, and
drew money out of the county treasury
for his expenses.
And thus we go! All that Republi-
can Judge will do-that is, all that
Judge Shaw did-was to fine this model
constable $75.
And still the wretched taxpayer of
Los Angeles wonders that his taxes are
high With judges like Shaw, justices
Of the peace like the Lancaster luminary
and constables like Grain, the marvel is
that the whole substance of the county
it not blown in.
What is the matter with electing
Frank H. Howard as Shaw's successor?
The taxpayer might then have show.
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BEFORE Markham was nominated the