The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-13
THE GRAND JURY REPORT.

Out of the silence and the secrecy of the
Grand Jury room has come at last the re-
port which gives the public some little
knowledge of what has been going on
there. The report does not differ
in its essential features from those
which are usual to such bodies
and will afford additional reasons for the
popular discomfort with the whole Grand
Jury system. 1t contains much that may
be read with interest, and much that may
be skipped without loss; much that might
have been weighty had the facts to sustain
it been brought out in public, and much,
also, that probably would never have
been written had there been an open
instead of a secret examination concerning
the affairs to which it refers.
Reading portions of this voluminous re-
port one would infer that San Francisco is
wicked above all other cities under the sun.
Our election boards, our Police, our Har-
Dor Commissioners and our Judges are
alike assailed. In some instances the
charges in the report have long since
been made familiar to the pub
lie through the press and the
report adds nothing of importance to what
was known concerning them. In other in
stances gross injustice seems to have been
done to worthy officials and as a matter of
fair play and common justice the CALL has
interviewed some of them, to whom the
injustice appeared grossest, and has given
them a chance to tell their side of the
story on the same day the report is pub
lished. These interviews should be care
fully read by impartial citizens in order
that intelligent Judgment may be formed
concerning the matters in issue.
While the report cannot be accepted as a
whole, and while the greater portion of the
intelligent people of the City will commend
the course of the member of the Grand
Jury, 81. Mayer, who refused to sign
it, there are, nevertheless, several
passages and recommendations in it
that will receive the almost unanimous
approval of all good citizens. One of
these is found in the statements made
concerning the lottery evil which is so
wasteful drain upon the earnings of the
people and so pernicious to public morals.
The report justly declares: 1.-THE fact
that newspapers continue to publish no.
tices of lotteries is crying shame" and
the better element of the people will agree
oudO ~ 40 w OC lCSiCttCd O1te oUOL OllSAoeS
do not come within the province of the
Grand Jury to indict.
Equally favorable will be the public
Judgment on the further statement that
"the jury desires to express to the people
of the City the commemorate course of
such of the dailies as have now refused to
advertise the drawings of the various lot
terry companies. 1t is to be hoped that
other proprietors will, in justice to them
selves and to the public, follow this good
example, which will gowell in the line of
progress SIS this State is now making"
The report recommends that the Legis-
lature make the sale OF lottery tickets and
the advertising of lottery business felony
it condemns side-entrance saloons as a
menace to the welfare of society; de-
nounces the practice of accepting straw
bail in the courts; points out sew
eral evils in the management of the
schools; pronounces severe judgment,
largely unjust, upon the police; recon-
mends the requirement of suitable pieces
of property for public toilet purposes,
and with considerable detail criticizes
much of the work that has been
done in street paving. 1t will be
noted with pleasure in this general
mass of criticism and condemnation that
the Fire Department receives the praise it
merits, and is declared to compare favor
ably with that of any city in the Union.