The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-24
REIGN OF DOODLE.
illegal" Grand Jury Arraigns
California Politicians.
SHAMEFUL TRAFFIC IN BRIDES,
r,ackmaiI on Oficeholdcre and Corpo-
rations-supremeC Court the Enemy
of Honest Government.

san FRANCISCO, Dec. 23.-The grand jury made
.6nal report 10 Judge Wallace today The 70
mart opens with a statement of the facts con.
,,ected with the legal controversy which resulted
IN the declaration by the supreme court that the
impanneing of the jury was illegally done.
The report goes on to say:
Those members of tka assembly intent ,ron
Thrift do NOT appear to nave been organized
under the same strict military discipline We
regret TO observe taat the statements mace in
tbs repOrt TO the amount of plumber rereivad
by their brethren in the upper house may be 10
hem most painful revelation They nusf de-
plore that lack Of experience which placed them
Al the mercy u few veteran rogues in their
body, who reaped all the advantages that supe-
nor intellect admits For there were no
middleInen, agents, no brokers to
tempt the assembly neophytes. The
bribe money was paid to appointed
captains, and they settled with the baser sort
without the intervention OF outside busybodies
Therefore cannot state the sums patd the
assembly bandits with any degree of accuracy
We may only say the captains received more
and the prirates less III the assembly than the
average $500 paid to the members OF the soma
toria combine
Be it fully understood that in all this shame
full traffic OF men In official station there was no
politics. These men were neither Republican,
Democrats or Americans. They were simply
thieves, and Doodle knows no craftsmanship
This grard jury solemnly Gays that if the stl-
prene court had not declared it illegal it would
have initiated such measures as would have re-
suited in the permanent abatement Of this evil
The board OF supervisors, OF late years at least
has included IN part men eminently untitled
for the duties which they assumed. The ma
jorty OF the last board was designated .the
solid nine" Political bosses, protesting to have
control OF the board, would demand blackmail
from corporations, the penalty of refusal being
threat OF an adverse law or ordinance The
mayor is helpless. lie can do nothing He is
only chief clerk. He should have the appoint
ment OF all the subordinate municipal ofIieers
whose selection is now vested IN the board OF
supervisors
The report goes on to say that if the Jury had
continued its iabors additional indictments
would have been found against some of those
persons already indicted. director OF a cor
poratiou testified that his company had paid
one political manager for about five years. I'D
to the end Of last month, sum averaging 500
amon:h, and that in addition his concern had
10 pay on the eve OF election in one instance
$500. IL is understood other corporations were
under tribute III like manner, so that the an
nual revenue OF this person from that source
alone aggregated 10000. 1t also appears that
from large number, probably reaching into
hundreds, OF employees OF the municipality was
collected certain percentage OF their monthly
salary. The grand Jury. in closing reviews the
condition OF the departments of the local
municipal government and especially COM
nends the school department
In accepting the report, Judge allace related
Briefly the proceedings which led up to his ap-
pontment of an eiisor. He contended very en-
phatically that the very emergency conten-
plated by the code did arise in his court in Au-
gust last when sufficient number of persons
summoned to meet as grand jurors failed to APP
pear. He spoke of quibbling to the exact
meaning of elis0r, and said:
All their discussion Was mainly fanciful The
fact TO be known is " neither the sheriff and cor
eoner were disqualified. This was judicially
IN. fs.da ofa
could have been judicially known to the SUI
preme court. Knowing of the disqualification
OF these officers, informed you OF the facts and
recommended investigation. Would IL not have
been illegal, well as ridiculous, for me to have
an officer choose men who were to investigat
that very officer?
The court quoted at great length on this point,
and said that the procedure was passed on in
formation far more accurate than the affidavit
OF an obscure individual could possibly be.
Treating of the conflict of the code relative to
grand Juries, the court quoted at length from
various authorities and questioned whether,
even were 1t ruled that no elisor should have
been appointed, it was a warrant for issuing d
writ OF prohibition, which checks the proceed
ings. The court argued that legally writ
should have been granted, and said il is mat
ter to be earnestly considered ii there
are not now hundreds of men confined
in state prisons whose release
might be secured by following the procedure
successfully carried out in this case. Another
case in point is that OF Goldenson, convicted of
murder and sentenced to be hanged. His coun-
eel set forth that the grand jury indicting him
vas illegally impaneled. Goldenson might
hare been set free had his counsel secured\ the
Necessary writ of prohibition. Judge Wallace
said the decision in the Bruner case is very de-
cidedy contrary TO that given by the
zane court In the Raymond case. In one
case they rule that this is dc fGcto grand jury.
In another they decide that there is no grand
jury in existence before which witness may be
ordered TO attend. Ii is evident the supreme
court has taken a new stand in the BruDer case
and has countermarehed very decidedly.
In concluding the court touched upon few
Their legal points, and concluded:
Some enc has Numbered. | venture to say
these mistakes were not made here. The effort
10 ferret out crime has stopped. | assert that
In this matter have not exceeded the authority
and legality granted me by the statutes of this
state