The herald., 1896-11-01
N DESPERATE STRAITS
The Court House Ring in
Terror
IRE TRYING 70 save THE JUDGES
It Is Protection They Are Look
ing for Now
ARE INFLUENCING VOTERS
Promising to Get Men on the Term
Trial Juries
On Condition That They Support Republican
Judicial Nomisees
Promising to Get Men on the Term
Trial Juries
On Condition That They Support Republican
Judicial Nomisees
Prostituting the Jury System to Main
tain in Office Certain Favorites.
Trying to Elect One Supervisor
to Keep Republican Control.

The desperate straits to which the
Angeles county to elect their county
ticket is no better exemplified than in
the fight which is being made to Sc
cure the election of their judicial ticket
The Republicans are particularly anx-
ious to control the superior bench, for
reasons obvious.
For years the people of this county
have had their local governmental af-
fairs handled by ring of Republican
politicians who in ten years have ex-
pended over $11, 900, 900 of the money of
the people.
The county government has been the
most extravagant and wasteful that
has ever been known. 1t has actually
cost the people more to maintain the
government of Los Angeles county than
it has cost to maintain the state gov
ernments of three states of the union.
Time after time an endeavor has been
made to get full, a square and an open
investigation of official corruption and
rottenness by grand jury.
This has been an impossibility, for
the reason that there has always been
judge on the superior bench and in
the right department to head off the
investigation just as it reached point
where something was going to be accom-
plished.
The outcome has been that justice
has miscarried. Official thieves have
escaped the striped suits and the prison
cells which they would grace with credit
to themselves and to the satisfaction
of the outraged and over-burdened tax
payers of this county.
The few guilty thieves who have been
unearthed still roam at large in the
community. But one single conciction
has been recorded, and that was in the
case of a half dead man, who had not
enough life in him to threaten those
behind him with exposure unless he was
turned loose.
Public officers who mulct the county,
who put in bills for services never rem
dered, have been allowed to continue
to draw sustenance at the public teat
and justice is paralyzed
But now this protection for official
Dulwark of official rascality in this
county is threatened, and the result is
grand rush for cover, and some of the
tallest rustling that this county has
ever seen in politics.
What the Republicans are extremely
desirous of saving is the superior bench
and one of the three supervisors
In behalf of the judicial ticket every
effort is being put forth that can be
conceived by mortal man. The court
house ring Is in danger, and the alarm
has been sounded. From all parts of
the county the henchmen have been
called in to save the judicial ticket, and
the promises and pledges that are
being made to secure votes for certain
nqn6i61tpS for iII1ipa in nartipJIlar q r q
startling.
For instance, young lawyer having
an office in the Wilcox block was given
directly to understand that If he would
support two candidates for judge it
would be to his material advantage,
inasmuch as he would at the proper
time be appointed to defend criminals
whenever the court was called upon to
designate an attorney.
This would have been nice thing for
the young attorney, who is just start
ing in to practice here. but he declined
to accept it. He refused to be bribed
to work for any candidate for judge
by promises of any such preferment.
But here is the most startling tale of
all. A real estate man living at Pasa-
dena and also having an office in the
Wilcox block, was riding into the city
on an electric car last Tuesday morn
ing.
He was approached by local attorney
and informed that if two certain Re
publican candidates were elected as
superior Judges, his name could be
placed on the term trial jury, and he
could draw down 50 per day and mile
age. The gentleman promptly and prop
erly resented the proffer and asked to
be excused
Thus it will be seen that parties are
going over the county securing sup
port. or endeavoring to secure support
for Republican judicial candidates by
promising a shameful prostitution Of
the jury system.
To these straits the party is reduced
in order to elect its judicial candidates.
Everybody is conversant with the war
the Times has made on A. J. Utley, one
of the union candidates for superior
judge. The following affidavits speak
for themselves and are a complete refu-
tation of the charges made by the Times:
State of California. county of Los An
geles SIS.
Mrs. n. L. Comstock being duly sworn