The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-11-02
co N TIN UE ID !
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WHAT LABOR

were taken up In discussion or
these conditions with the judges,
an dthey dismissed us with the
promise that they would notify us
of their decision in the matter.
After week of delay, we were
notified through the evening pa
pers that the judges had sent let
tie rto Secretary Morford, saying
that they had decided not to call
a grand jury, for the reason that
your showing is insufficient to
warrant them (the judges) in call
ing grand jury. This was pretty
much of a surprise to your commit
tee-that is, the showing being in
sufficient Your committee cited
many cases to the judges and told
them they could produce plenty Of
evidence to substantiate the
charges. The judges did not ask
as to who the witnesses were, and
agreed with us that many of the
matters laid before them were seri-
GUS and should be corrected.
"The judges said to us at the
meeting that many Of the matters
brought to their attention could be
gotten at through the prosecuting
attorneys office, and your commit
teemen called attention to the lack
of proper action in cases which
had been brought to the prose-
cutor's attention. They showed US
that the prosecutor could not be
set aside under the law, and that
he must have charge of any grand
jury selected.
MANY of the irregularities and
immoralities in city and county
government complained of were de-
cided by the judges to not come
under the law, but that a grand
jury investigation could report
them End likely put a stop to them
through publicity. They asked us
this question: Which do you deem
most important, the prosecution of
public officials for crimes under
the law Implying that they had
little faith in the outcome of such
prosecutions) or the investigation
and report on serious misconduct
in public life We promptly replied
that under the circumstances we
believed an investigation by a
grand jury to cure these immorali-
ties and Irregularities was more
important than any criminal
charges against officials. The
Judges expressed themselves that
these charges were most serious
and needed correction-one OF
them being that prisoners in the
county Jail were denied treatment
in the hospital section of the
county Jail because jaiIors used the
place for sexual intercourse with
female prisoners-and yet they now
tell us that the Showing. was in.
sufficient
"Your committee has no recon.
mendatiOn to make in the matter,
in the way of outlining further ac-
ton by this Central Labor council
in appealing to the authorities of
city and county government for
cleaner and better government. We
have appealed to the city council
and our demand for an honest in
vestigation of corruption in the po-
lice department, with representa-
ton on such investigation commit
tee, chosen by this body, and were
ignored. We have appealed to the
superior judges to give us the. op-
portunity of getting at the matters
through grand jury, and here
again we have met with refusal.
We have no confidence In the hon.
esty of purpose of the county prose-
cutting attorney in prosecuting GRIM
inaI charges against city and
county officials, as his action In the
Elliott case will show, inasmuch as
he has not even yet brought a
charge of betrayal and abortion
against officer Glider, though he
has confessions of the victim her.
self in the matter. So in the way
of the regularly constituted author
tiles there seems no way of getting
at the sources of public corruption,
immoralities and irregularities
which are known to exist and of
which your committee offered
plenty Of evidence before the SUI
perior judges. Publicity seems to
be the only way open, and how this
can be had to any great extent,
with only the columns of The Spo-
kane Press and the Labor World
open, Is problem that will be left
to you to determine"