The herald., 1894-06-04
GRAND JURIKs HAVE A USE.

When the last convention to frame
new constitution for this state was in
session there was strong feeling among
the delegates that the grand jury system
had seen its best days and ought to be
relegsted to the limbo of institutions
that had done good service in their time,
but had outlived their usefulness. The
fact was generally conceded that the
modern grand Jury had become piece
of stationary furniture in the political
system. The work Of one set of jurors
was as like the work of another set rs
two peas in q pod. Their Lahore had
become perfunctory, and they met
merely to 90 through a regulation rout-
inc that was as stereotyped as the plates
Of q standard edition OF the King James
version of the Bible. They found true
bills of indictment against the common
maleiactors. but when it came to indict-
ing men of respectable standing, but of
known crookedness, their Bympathies
were susceptible to the reasoning or
abandonment OF dignified intercession.
When public institution was to be SUBJ
jected to their inspection, their visit was
announced in advance, so that the man
ayers could have everything in apple-pie
order for their argus-eyed examination.
The affairs of public offices were glozsd
over, and when they had sat for month
or two in what might be termed the "in-
nocuous desuetude" of the grand jury
room, they filed their report, which
showed that everything everywhere in
the public service and institutions was
lovely and 'the goose hanged high"
Under these circumstances it was no
wonder that the convention delegates
thought it was high time to abolish an
institution which had come to mean
nothing. They compromised, however
with the reoslcitrants, who still believe
that because our fathers thought grand
juries q useful and necessary institution
that we could not get along without
them. by providing for the initiation of
criminal proceedings in felony by infor-
nation, and leaving the calling OF
grand inquest at long intervals to the
option of the counties.
But the grand jury which has just
closed its labors in this county has done
its work 30 we'll that the system may
again become popular. 1t is true that
its session was q fearfully long one, but
its report. which has come to the public
in serial shape, shows that the body was
loh in ifa m
ferret out the latent vices that had
gained foothold in our public offices, and
to uncover many of the pernicious
practices that had become barnacled by
usage, although unauthorized by law or
by a sense of justice or right.
1t is not our purpose just now to fol-
low the late grand jury in their quest to
discover official shirkings, but we will
here reiterate the general sentiment of
the public when we say that their con-
scientious and impartial exposure of the
many irregularities in the city and
county Offices has had most satisfac-
tory effect. We can see where they
might have been more severe and gen.
eral in their findings, but We have to
thank them for having gone out OF the
ordinary rut trsversed by previous grand
inquests and brought to the public notice
official tergiversstions that were sadly in
need of exposure. Whilst they may not
have gone as deep or as far as they
might have done, in showing up the
iobbery and evil practices that had
obtained in the board OF education,
they have undoubtedly aroused the peo-
pie by their exposures to the Importance
of hereafter paying closer attention to
the kind and character of men they place
in control of the public achools. The &C.
cusation against Plat astonished nobody
who had kept au courant OF the die
| closures made in the HERALD OF the
peculiar methods OF making supply pur'
chases by that handy individual for the
school department. The grand jury had
evidence before them from some of oul
most respectable merchants to the effect
that he had approached them to sell
their goods to the city at one price and
to make out their bills for the came al
another and higher price. For some
OF his transac lions of this thrifty char
acter he will have to stand trial, thanks
to our grand jury.
The work of this body will have 6
generally good effect upon the conduct
OF public business. 1t will make oui
officials realize that they cannot violate
a public trust Tor their private behoo
with impunity, and that honesty lie the
best politics, as well 40 the beat policy
in the long run. 1t will help to cleal
away and purify much of the muck and
haze that prevailed the atmosphere o
our public offices, greatly to the benef
of our local public service.