The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1900-03-19
JUDGE H. E. M'GINN
Reveals a Surprising State of Rot
tennesS in MultnOmah Politics.
District Attorney Giltner Thinks He Can
Rob the County Because He and
MeGinn DO Not Speak.

A surprising state Of rottenness in tn,
office of District Attorney Sewell al
Portland was disclosed at the meeting
Of the Bar Association in that city las
Friday night. Judge Henry f. McGinr
made specific charges of gross corrup
tion on the part of h. r. Giltner, Sew
ellis deputy, and furnished data, names
and addresses to substantiate hil
charges, which he claimed to he abun.
dainty able to prove.
The occasion was meeting of the
Multnomah Republican Bar Association
which had just completed its reorganiza
ton that evening, and Judge McGinr
was the second man to address it, The
charges he makes are 30 serious that Il
they are not true he certainly ought tc
be prosecuted for libel and il they are
true tho district attorney and his dep.
uty ought to be sent TO the pen. Meth
or is likely to be done, which illustrates
the beauties OF the present system Of
partisan politics which causes the pow.
erful party machine to protect the cor.
rupt official, no matter how fragrant his
offense.
Judge McGinn led off with the state
ment that he had never been able to
find one thing that had been accom-
plished by an assemblage Of lawyers in
this state and did not believe there was
a remedial law upon our statute books
that was ever suggested by the Bar
Association Of Oregon. He then went
on:
"You have organized in a manner
upon which dosire to compliment you,
and | am told that there is duty for
you to perform as lawyers of this COM
munity. When l signed the roll was
told the object of this meeting was to
inquire into the methods aud practices
Of the district attorneys Office during
the incumbency Of Russell T.. Sewall,
the present officer holding that position.
signed the roll because know some
thing about the way that office has been
conducted, and am here tonight 20 say
to you, II that 10 your object in holding
this meeting, am with you, and hope
you will take measures to inquire fully
into the methods pursued there, and
that a committee will be appointed to
confer with the county central commit
tee to prevent Mr.. Sewall being again
nominated for this important office.
"I will say TO you at this time that |
am not, and under no circumstances
will be candidate for this or any Office.
say this that you will see my object is
not TO pave way for myself in making
these charges.
"Mr. Sewall was elected to this office,
and, as you all know, Roscoe X. Giltner
has been his chief deputy. As TO how
these two officials have conducted them
selves, you all have heard much. The
Office has been corruptly conducted, and
money is being made out OF 1t today by
corrupt practices. Last October an ordi.
nance on our city statute books, which
has been there for years, was declared
invalid by Judge George. This was the
ordinance regulating or prohibiting
Chinese lotteries in the city. Prior to
that time, the present chief OF police,
when he entered upon the duties OF his
office, declared that II was his object and
purpose 10 see that the Chinese lotteries
were suppressed. He vigorously prose-
cuted the operators OF these Chinese
gambling games under the city ordi'
nance, being ably assisted in the work
by Deputy City Attorney William
NJ. Davis, and, as result, the games in
Portland were suppressed. In October,
the ordinance was declared invalid by
the circuit and the supreme courts, and
do not east any aspersions on these
officers, because believe they decided
according to their conscientious interpre-
tation OF the law Alter that the pow
ers for suppress.ng the games deyolved
entirely upon the district attorney,
through means Of the state statutes, and
this Office started in to suppress them by
periecting combination OF the Chinese
gamblers within the city Of Portlsnd, by
which Sl2 a month was paid by the
owner of each lottery game for tne
privilege Of conducting the same. will
furnish you, gentlemen, the numbers OF
the streets where these games are now
located, and can give the names of the
agents who received the tl2 a month
from them
The sneaker here enumerated IS place.