The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1941-05-23
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attitude of our prosecuting attor-
ney and his remarks as quoted in
the press, the more strangely pc
culiar the whole thing appears.
The law specifically permits the
prosecuting attorney to initiate a
call for grand jury. His hands
are therefore not tied by the law.
But if circumstance requires or
if they deem it wise, the law does
of course, give the judges the
right to appoint some other at
torney to handle matters before
grand jury that is not called at
the instance of the county pro-
secutor.
In other words, the law merely
takes the exclusive right away
from the county prosecutor. In
stead of being "undemocratic" and
unconstitutional" as the prose-
cutor and his friends would have
the precinct committeeman believe
it is highly democratic and clear
ly within the Constitution. And
instead of injecting politics" into
the Grand Jury system, this new
law specifically takes it out. Our
fifteen judges are elected by nom
partisan vote. Our present coun-
ty prosecutor owes his election
solely to being on the right party
ticket at the alst election. The
only thing that saved him was the
slogan vote her straight" 1t is
therefore silly for a single office
holder, elected in that manner to
claim that he is more competent to
safeguard matters before a Grand
Jury than fifteen judges, selected
by non-partisan vote.
Few persons realize how al
most impossible it is in the State
of Washington to clean up politi-
cal corruption under existing laws.
No state in the West has hogtied
the people so tightly as this state.
Even if a county prosecutor were
disposed to try to clean up exist
ing conditions, under our system
other county officials have enough
power, especially the county COM
missioners, to hamstring his eve
ry efforts and cut him off at the
pockets-if they were so inclined.
This new law is the first light
by which outraged citizenry may
bring about cleaning without be-
ing compelled to sit by and watch
such phoney efforts and display
as we saw in Seattle a year or so
ago.
This new law is a club of the
citizenry over the county prosecu-
tor if he fails in his duties. On
the other hand, if he does his duty
he cannot possibly have anything
to worry about in this law.
But why this effort to hold it
up by a referendum Why this
effort at a referendum at this par
ticular time? If it is such bad
law, why not wait unit 1.-The next
legislature and have it repealed :?
For if it is so bad as painted, then
| certainly no judge would be in IA
vor of using it.
There is ample reason for this
haste to hold the law up. By fill
ing the referendum the law can
not become operative until after
next election in 1912. The present
office-holders will then be out of
office, or nearly out. And whether
the referendum is voted down or
sustained will then matter little.
1t will have accomplished it's pur-
pose. No body of outraged citi-
zens can, in the meantime, dur
ing the present administration,
urge the superior judges to i'm
panel a grand jury and employ
capable and non-partisan lawyer
to aid in its Investigations.
Surely every citizen with half
an eye and poor nose cannot
help but notice that this parti-
cular referendum smells of corrup-
ton. That is why I oppose it.
VIM. v. Cowan
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