The herald., 1898-03-27

De. done. IN. open day. Inc utility OF the
jury is at the present time almost entirely
confined to its action in the public business.
THE GRAND JURY
The grand jury is. in fact, the grand
committee of the people to examine their
officers and their affairs, and is the only
means the public have of holding these
officers In any direct way responsible for
their actions.
The petit jury system also is in urgent
need Of remodeling. No juror should be
| called on to try more than one case each
year. This would prevent the excessive
demand Of time from active and infiuen-
tial men and enable these to serve. 1t
would also prevent the existence Of the
present professional Juror which class
We have seen used In San Francisco to
protect certain railroad companies from
meeting their just liabilities.
In Los Angeles county we have num-
ber Of professional Jurors. who have no
visible means of support beyond the court
fees. These persons are suggested for the
jury panel by political or other influences,
and not upon the true initiative of the
judges. The resulting scandals in the jury
work defeat justice and put contempt
upon one of our most vital guards for lib
erty and right. The recent charges of fury
brlbing in this county are due to the pro-
| fessional irresponsible juror and his at
| tendant political manipulation.
While we honor our judges for their in
| tegrity and appreciate the work and strain
these officers are under, we must insist on
their faithful and personal performance of
| their duty In the selection Of Jurors. The
| jury system Is the palladium of our liber-
ties. We must not forget that no body of
| judicial officers, alone and unsupported.
has ever been able in the history Of the
world to see and to sustain the Individual
| rights and liberties of the people. The
present high place in civilization of Anglo
| Saxon communities and their superior
standing as self-governing societies, is
mainly due to the jury system. The jury
is the body of the people. 1t is free from
official bias, free from excessive devotion
| to technical form and law and constantly
| changing. is constantly in touch with the
great verities of life. tt
! In a recent letter to the press Repub-
| lican judge in San Francisco has expressed
| disapproval' of the whole jury system.
In the charge of the Republican judges
| of San Bernardino to the county grand
jury there was a gratuitous and official
expression of contempt for the function
and important business of the grand jury,
| and an intimation that it might we'll be
abolished. In this county the six Repub-
i!can judges refuse to- call the two grand
| juries per year, provided clearly by law
and thus deliberately nullify the statutes
| or the state they have sworn to support,
| We see by these facts and constant sug-
\ gestions from corporation and Republican
sources inimical to the jury system how
far honorable men have drifted from an
appreciation and sympathy with funda-
mental institutions necessary to the liber-
ties or the people and the preservation of
self government. The Republican party Is
no longer In touch with the people. The
| Democracy must stand in the breach and
see to 1t that the peoples rights are main
tanned.
| INDIGENTs
We would suggest that reform be un-
| dertaken In the management of the aid to
indigents. At the present time the county
spends large sums in this manner and in
an unscientific way and 1t is to be feared
In demoralizisg way.
| All the charitable organizations in the
city of Los Angeles have agreed with your
| committee that reform in this line is very
| essential. The general opinion is that aid
| should be furnished for work done, and
| that the county should organize some sys-
| tenn whereby work at a low wage so as not
to attract persons from other productive
labor, should be given to those able to per-
form it for the help from the county.
| In this way, public works, such as roads,
parks, etc, could be developed without any
extra cost to the county whatever, and
what Is far more important, the self re-
| spect and self reliance of those in unfor-
| tunate circumstances would not be injured
or destroyed. The present system is max !
| ing beggar class. which even the present
trutlntS- :" officers recognize should be
changed. tsff
| LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEEDS
There is no question but that our local
| system of government has been Outgrown
and Is no longer as efficient and economical
| as II. should be-. A few of the salar of
| public officers are reasonable, some may
| even justify raising in theinterest of better
management. but the greater number of
| salaries in the public service are much
| higher than similar services in private
| business can command. These salaries,
| fixed at a time when general production
was more remunerative are now above the
| capacity of the people to equal outside,
and have, with the waste and inefficiency
| of the system. become serious and excess
| sive burden to the community. In many
cases offices can be consolidated, and both
taxation and trouble reduced. What is
needed in county affairs is judicious re-
vision of the system of government looking
to better service and lower taxes. These
our candidates must be clearly pledged to
secure, and the Democratic organization
must hold successful candidates to a con-
| scientious carrying out of this policy.
To this end resolution should be offered
at our next convention; ~instructing the