Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1862-05-02
For tho journal.

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Probably not one duty which the citizo
owes to The public is more irksome and un
versally dreaded by business men, and thos
whose better intelligence and energy hav
surrounded them with complicated and press
ing calls upon their time and attention, tina
sitting on q jury. To be called from thei
stores, or their desks, and tied up TO thedul
routine Of the Court and the jury room, for
week or more at time; to be directed from
concerns and affairs that interest them, t
displeasing and dis'astcfull investigation @
cases of a criminal nature; to be bored BY
tongufy lawyers, bothered by stupid witness
es, perhaps shut up with "eleven contrary
men" for half the night at time; to cal
| hasty meals at hotels. herded with strange
acquaintance, under the eye Of bailltf, and
pass hours under lock and key, as if a
culprit yourself. instead of "a good and true
man, sworn to well and truly culprits try
there is no wonder that no concantenation of
ordinary circumstances is more dreaded
Stunned and shirked, by the vigorous, hale
and successful man of business, than the
jurors room and the jurors bench. 1t has
come to be generally Understood that this is
the case. ANY body Of business men would
scatter like flock of sheep before wolf,
were it to be understood by them that
sheriff officer with venire was caring down
upon them. Scores of men who would scorn
70 do dishororable act as regards public
duties, who, without being Phariscess, "pay
tithes of all they possess" and never dodge
the collector, would make special journeys
abroad. to purchase, by sach an absence, OK
emption from jury lists. So mutiform are
the excuses and loopholes out of which many
men in our county creep out of
thu irksome task, that the nuisance of 'pro
fessional jurors" rose and ran rampant. The
Court House is overunn at each term of
Court by lean, hungry faced. seedy men, all
too willing for the petty fees, to sit, day after
day, and term after term, doing on the
benches Of the Court room, eager, and like
Barkis, "wiilin" to form a part Of each PANEL
rhe reluctance of competent men to sit on
uries should be met and overcome by firm
Ind decided position and rule on the part of
,ur Courts.
And this is right. ftrial by jury be worth
anything. it is only in the hands of citizens
Who, knowing and acting for their own hon
'rable interests, yield share Of their time
md intelligence for the good Of tho public in
he important behests of public Justice
Jurors are sometimes excused, providing they
ind substitute. This is easily done but
n many cases the substitute would scarcely
'e admitted into the State Prison. | have
'een led to what have written, from the
act that not many Courts since was regu-
srly empannelled as Grand Juror for this
ounty and served as such. Whilst acting
n this capacity had an opportunity of see
ng how some things were done, and it was
eally surprising to me to see the desire man.
ested by some Of my fellow jurors to prolong
ur session, for no other visible reason than
Or the pay they were receiving. IuHs much
unused at one of our pious members, who
YES near the city. He would bring in aload
f tomatoes, pieplants, &C." with him in the
lorn ng, and he would scarcely get seated
,r business until he would move to adjourn,
1 order to sell his marketing . think it
'ould be commendable In our county officers
. take stiff broom to the extinction of all
nat class of jurymen. CITIZEN.