The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-01-11
The Grand Jury System.

ior eilete TRADITIONS OIL the law; but the
progress made in the direction of sim
plicity and reform has not yet attained
startling velocity. Another effort is
soon to be made in this state to cleanse
the phraseology of our statute books
of its redundant verbiage; but it's sue
cess at this time is, doubtful in view of
the fact that people as a rule accept
their law in whatever form pleases
those who make it. ,,u,
1t may not be uninteresting, in this
connection, to notice ths,fffort of GER
tain Illinois reformers ,59 abolish the
grand jury system. The Chicago Her.
| aid, which earnestly champions this
proposition, recalls the fact that Con-
| necticut abolished it nearly seventy
years ago with Tespect to all crimes
when the punishment was not death or
Imprisonment for life. In effect only
murder cases are cognizable by grand
jury in that state. In 1850 the question
was raised in the constitutional conven-
| ton of Michigan and in the consttu-
| ton adopted no provision was made for
a grand jury. 1t was not abolished in
terms, but it was not recognized. The
| legislature subsequently provided that
grand juries should not be summoned
| and impaneled unless the judge of the
circuit court directed it to be DONE In
| Wisconsin the judges of the circuit
court may dispense with the grand jury
| by notifying the clerk to that effect
| fifteen days before the term of court
! begins. Under this state of the laws
grand juries in Michigan and Wiscon-
sin are practically unknown, and all
| criminal proceedings are by informa-
| ton filed by the prosecuting attorney.
The Herald wants to know why this
| system should not obtain in Illinois
and remarks, apropos, that at is less
| oppressive, less expensive and more
! certain. 1t does away with all star
| chamber processes and affords no am
| buscade for secret enemies. 1t is open
and above board. If a crime is COM
mitted all that is necessary to do is to
bring the evidence of it before the
states attorney. If he is convinced
that there is probable cause for the
holding of the person accused he files
| in court what Is called an informa-
| tion,' which in terms is the same as an
indictment. In other words, it is the
| formal accusation of the crime, Upon
this information the party is tried, as
| he would be on an Indictment. The
states attorney is thus made the re-
sponsible accuser, and all the cum
bersome and expensive machinery of
the. grand jury is done away with. AS
an institution, the grand jaty is un-
| known in Germany. Francesand Scot
land. Popular liberty with us has out
| grown it and it should now be abol-
ished."
The only constitutional authority for
grand jury in Pennsylvaniagis found
in section of the declaration of rights,
which says that trial by jury shall be
| as heretofore" 1t Is exceedingly
doubtful If this means that the grand
jury system could noN be abolished or
greatly modified by act of legislature.
| The Philadelphia Record well says:
"If the voters of all the parties should
follow the simple rule of voting for the
best man at the primaries when cand!-
dates for municipal offices are selected,
and then, without regard to political
inclining, vote for the best man put in
nomination by either of the parties, the
most valuable results would surely fol-
low. There is no politics in the proper
conduct of municipal affairs, and there
should be no politics in the selection of
municipal officers" The same idea is
also expressed by the social journal,
To-Day, when 1t observes that local
government is largely business mat
ter and requires business abilities, in
tegrity and promptness in affairs,
rather than partisan zeal and skill in
bossing voters. Parties corrupt so
easily and learn the tricks of the dema-
gogues so readily that it is casting
pearls before swine to intrust them
with the business interests of towns
and cities. There Is scarcely a greater
lesson for the American citizen Of to-
| Quy IIld1 Ii1S. I1lNOlCt iptdl boNtiH-
ment from politics" Are the voters of
|, Scranton prepared to learn this lesson?
, The recent marked subsistence of con-
gressional clamor in behalf of the Mica
, ragua canal Is attributed by one wicked
, Washington correspondent to the sup
, position that congress has drifted
I n
! that there has been an interruption in
the forward movement of rations."
: This, of course, is gentle circumlo-
lcution equivalent to the assertion that
| there Is no longer "anything In IT. for
| the lingo statesmen who want Uncle
, Sam to enrich bankrupt corporation
by indorsing Its worthless bonds. A
; knowledge OF how the Panama dob
: was ''fioated" in France becomes valu-