The morning call., 1894-04-20
WHAT THE GRAND JURY MAY DO.

Our local grand juries usually devote
their time to an examination into the
methods of transacting public business.
They visit public Institutions and report
upon their condition. They look into the
inscrutable workings Of the Street De-
partmsnt, and tell the public what they
do not know about it, They subject the
schools, the Fire and Police departments
to more or less hurried scrutiny. and
generally report the condition OF things to
be as good as could be expected. But
when the average Grand Jury hands in its
final report only officials aud newspaper
men read it, and they only to ponder over
the facts that were not revealed rather
than over those which were. 1t might be
we'll for the present Grand Jury to depart
from this beaten track. Let it assume
that ordinary public institutions are fairly
we'll conducted. Let it turn the big
searchIight the law places in its hands
upon plague spots which every one is try
ing to learn something about One Of
these is the Peoples Home Bank. Cali
forRia is Justly proud of its banking laws,
and vet We find that under them a good
many thousand poor men have beer made
TO lose heavily. How was it made possible
for this TO be done? Who are the parties
that conspired against the banks depos-
itors and against the good name of the
city? Heavy as are the losses of the bank
depositors it would be better for the proD-
erty of the city to tax itself to make these
losses good than to allow the wrongdoers
to escape exposure and punishment &C
cording 10 their deserts.
a second object for investigation is tine
Police Department. A somewhat anoma-
lous condition Of affairs has for long time
prevailed in that department. At the bead
OF it are three commissioners who stand
high as citizens. The public do not want
to believe that either one of the three
would tolerate iniquities every observing
man knows are penetrated every day in
that department. The Chief of Police has
grown gray in the service and has the con-
fdence of the community so far as personal
integrity is concerned. But personal in
tegrity does not prevent other men from
committing crimes. 1t is poor satisfac-
ton for citizens who try to bring offenders
to justice to be told that the Chief is hon.
est and believes all his men to be as honest
as himself
One thing is patent. Too much disere-
ton is allowed the police force. There are
laws against offenses, but it is left with the
police to execute them or not. A gambling
den may be Tsided or it may be allowed TO
do quiet business. Houses of i'll repute
may be closed or may be permitted TO pa
rade the fact of purchased impunity from
the city's guardians. A vendor OF lottery
tickets may be fined ont Of existence or he
may sell tickets as openly as be sells books
or cigars. Grand juries can recommend
changes in laws as well as changes 10 the
methods of administration. While the ma
ture of certain offenses is such that some
discretion as to arrest must be allowed the
police. the law should allow the least pos
sible temptation. AS our laws now stand
the Police Department is a glittering prize
for men OF easy morals but fog bank for
tho thoroughly honest officer. Not only
does the honest officer rsnounce all share
in corrupt profits, but he is probably sus-
pected quite as much as though he carried
his hand open behind him.