Los Angeles herald., 1891-03-27
WHITRWASHING-E MACHIN-
ERY-LACK OF RESPONSIBILITY.

The ease with which legislators white
wash themselves is not confined to any
section of the United States. To en-
ploy the can't phrase, "They all do it."
1t is process as popular in the national
congress as in the legislature of Cali
fornia. 1t has attained foothold in
Great Britain, and for time, it was at
tempted to kalsomine Parnell's offense
in the O'Shea affair. But for the ener-
getic action of Mr.. Gladstone and the
Irish bishops the feat though difficult
would have been accomplished.
France seems to be the most resolute
nation in the world in declining to use
the whitewash brush. If man is
guilty of any transgression in that coun-
try he gets his deserts, no matter what
his previous standing may have been.
The higher the rank there the more in
exorable the punishment. Laxness in
pecuniary transactions is also met with
memorable severity in that country.
The defaulter is obliged to see prison
doors clang after him as he goes to a
long period of enforced retirement. The
murderer is compelled to face the ten
der mercies of the guillotine. The poll
tical conspirators finds it convenient to
fly the country The sophisticators of
articles of food are treated as the
malefactors they are. Juries are
sparingly used; and, when en-
ployed, they discharge their duties
with promptitude which would be as
surprising as gratifying in the United
States. ae
In this country the jury evil has
grown to proportions quite alarming.
Under the American system it is proba-
bly, greater calamity than corrupt leg
islatures, The people-at least the mass
of the people-are earnestly seeking a
remedy for this canker-the professional
juryman-who eats the heart out of To-
cal treasures.
The multiplication of courts is an
other portent Of terrifying dimensions,
In the city and. county of San Francisco
they have Afteefi superior judges. In
Los Angeles we have six. When the
total of the judicial officers in California
is taken into the count it is quite appall-
ing. Then there are forty-three states
besides California to be heard from,
making the number legion. To these
are to be added an innumerable array
of justices of the peace, recorders, and
other officials who discharge judicial
functions, many of the mayors of cities
having considerable jurisdiction. When
the constables and policemen are added
to the roster the average American has
his hands full when he steps up to the
captains Office to settle his taxes. We
have still behind these tribunals of linn
tied jurisdiction the supreme court of the
United States, the circuit and district
courts of the United States, the
appellate and supreme courts of the sew
eral states, with innumerable clerks,
prothonotaries and regular relays OF
tipstaves, messengers and what not.
Taking it altogether, there must GER
tainly be in this country fully ten times
as many officials engaged in the admin
istration of so-called justice as suffice
for the mighty empire of Great Britain
and Ireland.
1t may be claimed as set-of for this
that our standing army is very small.
This is true, but then our pension roll
costs us more than the enormous stand
ing army of Germany, and the further
we get from the war the greater our out
lays have steadily become.
Surely one might be excused for think
ing that, with such plentiful outlay,
some degree of responsibility ought to
be enforced. We seem, however. to be
wretchedly unsuccessful in this line.
The taxpayer may well begin to look
around for remedy. If the evils under
which we labor are allowed to increase
in the ratio of the last twenty years,
they bid fair to be insupportable. The
average citizen will become mere newer
of wood and drawer of water. The pos
session of property will rather point
man out for victim than be considered
a privilege. and the most complex sys-
tenn of spoliation ever devised will be in
fr1lI oporofiop