The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-19

Tho Grand jury IN Queens county has
just found an Indictment for some form
81 official misconduct against LAwRENCE
GRrssFR. tho President Of the Borough
81 Queens. in the government OF the
Greater New York COinCldentlv with
this action several members of tho
Grand jury have Joined IA petition 10
tho Governor asking him tn r''mnve the
Borough President from office N once,
under the statute which permits this 10
hc dnre Not only do tho petitioners
want Governor HrGHTs to turn ont MIR.
GRESsER: they invoke tho assistance If
tho Executive in obtaining for hem a
r,Irct-Ssor II strong character and broad
experience i'm the handling If men. who
IL not and never has been connected
with politics or politiCianS
The propricty of the participation NJ
grand jurors in this movement seems
very doubtful Bv voting To indiCt the
Borough President they have declared
under oath that there II "A prima facie
case against him. Nevertheless the
presumption of the old common law still
remains in full force and effect. that a
person thus accused il to he dccmc,l
innocent until trial jury has pro-
noulnCcd him guilty Pending the vor-
dict neither the Grand Jury the Judge
nor any other official connected with the
administration of justice should do any
thing To overcome that presumption.
except the public prosecutor who's" duty
II Is To establish the charge II the evil
denCe warrants it, What we mean is
that the function If grand juror in so
largely Judicial that IL is unb"Coming
for him Ia figure M any outside contro-
versy directly or indirectly involving
the guilt Of man whom he has indictsSl
There are plenty If other good men IN
the Borough Of Queens who NAV h"
trusted to prosecute the removal charges
before the Governor.
Irrespective of the personnel of 10
petitioners. however. the request which
they have presented tn the Governor Is
absurd IN the last degree They pray
for a new Borough President who l.
not and never has been connected with
politics or politicians This negation
WHIT y ll'lN' vs. lfI lllile-~~ W if'Nl
public Office and ~ application wouln
lead 80 interesting results T. would
exclude such inssn a. CHARLES +.
HUGHEs himself The Contributing
Editor Of the Outlook would he outside
the breas'works He has been CON
nected with politics and politicians all
h.S life. and Sycamore Hill is scarcely
visible through the political atmosphere
which surrounds il these summer DAYS
SITH Low. who has been living low with
his ewes on the Executive Mansion Al
Albany. must give up all hope II she
principle II this Queens county petition
ia to prevail. We have reformed our
election laws until it is costly and
laborious process 10 conduct primaries.
nominate candidates - a. to entitle
them to a plac" on the official ballot.
get ont fhe party vote az elect ion time
watch tho polls and supervise the ran
va-- after the votes are cast All this
demands n knowledge 81 politics and
the industrious service of many politi-
clans. II politicians did not do this
work hundreds and thousands II our
good citizens would find Themselves
practically disfranchised. According %
the Jealous reformers Of the Queens
county typ" they are 10 be permitted
tn 60 IN and do this indispensable work
all the same: but when IL comes To the
question Of who are 20 have the Offices,
the politicians are to IL barred
This would he all right II il were true.
~ these reformcrs assume. that there
ar" no politic ians worthy of office That
- not the fact. however Some Of the
ahlr-, Americans that ever lived have
heen skilhIl politicians. Have they
never heard Of SAMUEL J. TILDES in
Queens county, ~ HoRATIO SEYMOUR
or If WILLIAM ". SFwARD-or. for the
matter 81 that, II ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
tho ahic-' politician Of them ala
H." I"aIous reformer when he j.
ssked tn -ign petition would do we'll
10 read its contents In order 10 make
sure that h" - no, writing himself down
an a..
sounding a krvnotr