The herald., 1898-01-26
The GAnd Jury !

mlttee OF the people is likelyt CIV tive |
to break away from the cont, ~ go, [
political cliqueS Every once in A,h,,a ,h,s
result happens, in spite of all the 20 ,aLan !
to stuff the lists for the panel g. os air 4
the advantages the political push X fron,
the examination of the public offk and {
the public business in secret. N
1t is not generally known how imp. mi
the grand jury list is considered by u 4
tical politicians and bosses. Few are aN.a
of the means taken to place men in so {
way subject to low standard of politic
manipulation on the grand jury list NoS
is it publicly known that the grand jury.
list is ever manipulated and drawn to or
der.
The careful boss has more or less respect
table men on every grand jury, but an
analysis of most such bodies will disclose
the fact that there are almost always polit-
ically a sufficient number of jurors to
prevent effective action. These are either
connected with policical machine di-
rectly or indirectly by contracts, furnish
ing public supplies, being bondsmen. ETC.,
or else are held in line by some backmall-
ing charge or the knowledge that some
politician has facts in their history of a
doubtful or injurious character. Some
past intrigue with women is a favorite
club with which to protect dishonest poll
ticians.
Yet in spite of all this the counties of
this state have saved their grand jury bills
a good many times over in the public
moneys recovered from official embez-
zlers and by the discovery and stoppage of
dishonest conduct in office.
The utility of the grand jury as check
against excess of political cheating and
theft, imperfect as it is, is invaluable TO
the community. 1t is, in fact. the only
check the people have against political mall
feaSance. The very exceptional action re-
Gently taken by the League for Better
City Government in roofing out the school
board scandal proves the rule. for we have
never had anything of this kind before
All of our previous political clean-ups have
been by grand juries. These have saved
hundreds of thousands of dollars to the
people of this county and prevented the
waste of hundreds of thousands more.
That corrupt politicians should at every
chance strike at the grand jury is very
natural 1t is, indeed, their most danger
our foe. The last miserably venal leg.sla-
ture of California struck an ins!dous blow
at the grand jury by passing a law to
make grand jur!es liable in damages for
libel for anything they might send out as
an official report and officials. II was
thought that such law would prove an
effective bogy against the honest action of
patriotic jurors in exposing inenIcient and
eXtravagant as well as corrupt govern
ment. This bluff has fallen flat. for we
have had some red-hot grand jury reports
since it was passed. A strong. impartial
grand jury would have made things torrid
for that legislature Itself.
The grand jury is no longer required for
ordinary criminal work. but is needed more
and more every day as a representative
committee from the body of the people 20
examine the public business. to hold the
officers responsible to the people
for their acts. and to check up
the books, accounts and public
funds. There is no other body to do this.
Our experience shows that this must be
done. We have now a system of govern
ment in which local affairs, both city and
county. is without responsible head The
public elective officers are not in a system
linked together in the conduct of the
public business. nor are they controlled by
anyone or responsible to anyone. They
are all theoretically responsible to the
people. This was sufficient and a good
working policy in the old township. with
rarely more than eighty or ninety voters.
These all met together in a common meet
ing place from time to time. when the pub
lie officers were directly subject to the
examination of every freeholder. Parti-
sanship was then practically unknown in
local affairs, and the office sought the
man. The township fines imposed on cit
-ZSnS WHO refused 10 serve III puDllc OillCt
when elected are an eloquent testimonial
of how a real free and responsible govern
ment could be conducted without such po-
litical rakeoffs and exorbitant salaries and
emoluments as now invite and create reg
ular money making political machines to
secure the plunder.
Conditions have changed. We may with
advantage renew the township system in
country districts. but our cities and coun-
ale ,tal,- 10
TEN. A general meeting of all voters is no
longer possible in any city or county. If
such a general meeting of all voters were
possible. it would be useless both from its
own size, the number of public officers to
examine. and the great extent and com
plexity of the public affairs. Yet there
must be responsibility in public officers
and checks on the use of public funds. We
are confronted with condition. The bus!-
ness of the people has outgrown the sys-
tenn of conducting it.
We have one of two things to do. First
to change the form of our local govern
ment and place it under responsible head
with power to act. This would require the
election of not more than one or two pub
lie officers at local election, and the APP
pointment of all subordinates and control
over the same by the responsible head
This line of action we see illustra ed in the
all our new city charters and in the reduc-
tion of elective officers. In county we
would on this line elect only supervisors.
The second method of meeting the con
dition is to increase the power and eff.
cheney of the grand jury and to look to Il
as a representative committee of the peo
pie on public affairs.
What the grand jury requires to do thi:
work properly is as follows:
The ju6peS whose dutV If is to send r
the names for the grand jury should bt
obliged to prepare and sign separately anC
individually. each one for himself. his owl
list This list for each Judge, and over hi!
name. should then be published fifteen day.
before the drawing of the grand jury. W.
| should then know who put on the list no
toriously unfit persons. or stacked up
grand jury with weak and venal men.
The day, place and hour when the grant
| jury is to be drawn should alst
be advertised. The whole bench o
the county should be present, anC
everything should be public. TIL,
county clerk should himself do tn
drawing There should be no opportunit,
| for manipulating the drawing of the names
1t should never be in the hands of practi
cal political office-holding subordinate, a
1t often is. The names should never b
drawn 1t an unexpected time, and wthou
due care, caution and notice.
The proceedings of the grand jury shoult
| all be public as to the public busi
ness In private or criminal matters twelv
men could take matter up executively.
The reason for absolute publicity is tha
in political matters there is no such thin
as secresy of investigations of charge
| t;os, L; II,