The record-union., 1895-02-08
A SUBJECT FOR INVESTIGATION.

A bill said to have been drawn by the
Attorney General is before the Legisla-
ture for enactment into law. The bill
provides for commission of investiga-
ton into the manner in which elections
are conducted; into the morality of the
police force: into the general admins
tration of public justice. According to
the provisions of this bill the Governor
is to appoint three members of the COM
mission, and the bill attempts an out
line of the matters and things concern
ing which this commission is to have
inquisitorial power.
We desire to present for the consider
alton of the friends of the bill some
matters relating to the administration
OF public justice which may appropri-
ately be made the subject OF extraordi-
nary inquiry. It is or should be we'll
known that certain journals make a
practice of espousing the cause Of liti-
giants in the courts, especially of San
Francisco. The question arises, Are the
courts amenable to journalistic advo-
cacy? Can judgment be influenced by
denunciation of a newspaper, or pro-
cured by the favorable comments Of the
press? This is very serious question.
We recently took occasion to point out
the fact that when the Blythe case was
on trial before Judge CofTey, a number
of journals had contracts with one claim
ant whereby if she won the case they
were to have certain contingent fees.
How were these journals to earn the
money to be contingently paid to them ?
Recently the inventor of valuable
or-aiding machine sued certain per-
sons for infraction of his patents. He
won his case against the largest and most
influential of the trespassers upon his
rights, and believing himself secure he
published, or caused to be published in a
monthly periodical, statement of his in
vention and history of the litigation.
Perceiying this, three of the journalists
of the State of California approached
him, soliciting publication similar to
that which had appeared in the magazine.
It ia stated upon reputable authority that
the inventor paid each of the two papers
$1,000 and third $500 for an article de-
scriptive of his invention; and he con-
fessedly did this under the duress or fear
of the adverse influence these papers
might have in securing justice at the
hands of the courts.
Was the inventor mistaken, is a sub
ject OF very serious contemplation. Do
the courts of the State, after hearing and
determination, find Judgments in accord
ance with the express wish of the press ?
Is it necessary, in order to obtain justice
at the hands Of judicial tribunals of the
State of California, that the press of the
State should be subsidized? If so, then
there are no tribunals of justice. Then a
day In court is worth nothing to liti-
CANT. for the judgment that may be in
huenced by popular clamor may be pur-
chased with money. The Judge who de-
cides in favor of the contestant for an es-
tate, simply because the papers say that
such contestant is best entitled to it.
would sell his judgment for coin consid-
Grafton. That sense of justice which is SO
enteebled as not to be able to declare
itself in the face of journalistic opposi-
ton is necessarily corrupted.
Here is line of inquiry which will
test the courage of the Legislature. the
Governor and the commission his excel
lency will appoint. Here is q festive
spot of corruption which needs to be
probed. Let there be an amendment
drawn to the bill now before the Legisla-
ture requiring the proposed commission
to investigate the present general status
OF journalism and to report upon it fully.
Opposition to such measure can pro-
ceed only from journals which have rea-
son to fear the exposure of their methods.
HASTE NOT PROGRESS.