New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-01
COTFPNVFNT BY GRAND JURY


Government by Grand Jury is not very
efficient agency of reform in Brooklyn puI u
i the only resource which tax-burdehed anu
misruled community now has. 1t Is not etllcient
bocause presentmentS are cynically regarded
Inv the county and municipal authorities as
harmless homiles which have no bearing upon
nract;cal notifies. When a Grand jury, not
content with recording lis condemnation OF mis-
government, goes to the length CT lndlc'ihe
those whom it considers responsible Tor wrong
practices, there is mCmen,ary furry among
politicians but when the cases come on lOr
trial. there i, invariably something ami's either
with the evidence. or the method OF pfosecu-
;:,n. or the Judges charge, or the twelve men
in the box Every batch of Grand jury III
dictments against officials during recent years
has missed fire from one cause or another. VII
that account government by Grand jury can
not be said to be either useful or effective III
Brooklyn. Still. under the prevailing condi-
tions of ring and gang rule it is, with the >nge
execution of Lawyer Gaynor and his injunction
suits. the only resource which now seems avail
able for the necessities Of the town.
These remarks, which may appear somewhat
peSSmstic, are called out by the latest results
of Grand Jury deliberaion upon town ana
county scandals. No indictments are found
the District Attorneys Interpretation on the
law prec!uding such action in one instance. ana
the Grand Jury being naturally deferred III the
other case from decisive action by recent fail
IRE, TO secure convictions in the Columbian
celebration frauds The Grand Jury emphat-
icay condemns the action Of the Board OF
~. r,s1 t.,o
n fortnight ago. and the conduct of Mayor
Body in approving the unfair and illegal e%-
clusion of a competing corporation. II regrets
It's inability to indict every Official concerned III
This outrageous transaction, which involved UNI
lust discrimination, a fraudulent awari oil valu-
able privileges and financial loss - the city.
This is wholesome preSentmcnt which does
credit 70 the intelligence and public spirit Of
the Grand Jurors. But what will It amount to
when the town is governed by pachydermS IN
sensible to evidences OF public dlsapproval
The Board Of Aldermen viii be just a. ready
as it was before to take lis orders from ing
and gang and to act in collision vita interested
corporations and in bad faith with competing
rivals, The viltuOus homily is bldnk-cariiidge
fire. 1t does not hit anybody; not even the
when elected TO his Office. but is now contain
mated by political association with one Of
the most audacous rings to be found in the
land Since he has escaped Indictment for a
fragrant and scandalouS public crime, he can
be as thick skinned as the Aldermen and insist
upon having denomination in order to secure
"a vindication."
The second presontment relates 10 the death
Of Mrs. Adar at the Flatbnsh asylum, recon-
mends the dismissal Of the medical supeinn-
tendcnt an assistant physician and nurse,
and citici>cs the management of the institution
in many respects. The censure is undoubtedly
deserved but the reforms suggested are utterly
inadequate. 4 more efficient superintendent,
bctter-pad staff of physicians, larger num-
Der of nurses, increased accommodations for the
insane more wholesome bread and food are
urgently needed but if all thtSe recommends
tions were followed the asylum would still re-
main a garing object lesson of municipal mis-
management and Political patronage. Nothing
short of the surrender Of the asylum to the
State will remedy the fragrant abuses and scan
dals of the prevailing sySiom. theoretically
the ASYLUM is public hospital where the in
sane are lodged, cared for and treated in an
INTEL gent and humane way. Practically 1t is
a cow to be MIXED for the benefit Of con-
tractors and political partSan'. Every APP
pointment, whether Of a phy>iciln or Il scrub
woman. is controlled by political considerations.
Every branch Of the administration is " worked"
for the patronage and jobbery that may be in
it, The Grand Jury's structures do not 90 to
the core of the evil. Hundreds of insane pa
tients ought not to be left to the mcrcies Of
iobb;ng contractors and political favoritcs. The
ASYLUM ought to be taken out of politics and
handed over to the State to be properly and
humaney managed