North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1867-01-09
HARVEY sICKLER, Editor.
TUNKHANNOCK- Pa
Wednes day. .Jan. 8, 1867
Jurors.

In the niggrr-eqnality organ of this place
of week before last, we find a whining. silly
article on the subj ct ofjuors in tins C un-
| ty. The editor of tnat paper has been
carefully counting noses and has made the
| important discovery y-if what he sayl be
| true,-that there are but nine republican
jurors on the panel for this--January term
| This fact-if II be fact has so excited his
alfactories as to cause him to give vent to
his indignation in violent sneeze. IfBilIy
takes snuff, all the bummers, hangers-on and
sympathizers take 10 sneezlng. In this case,
having given forth sonorous "a-t-ch -ew r
himself, all the little ipper-snappers of
the party are going into sympathetic convul-
sionS on this matter OF drawing jurors. As
there is mnch ignorance on this subject
among certain class of people, we propose
to state briefly what the law requires in
drawing jury. The selection of Jurors Is
least two of the County Commissioners
They are required by law to inject at the
seat of Justice in each county once each
year and select from the taxable citizens of
thr county, sufficient number of sober in
tetdgent and judiciouS persons TO serve as
jurors for the several courts during the
succeeding year." Before entering upon
the performance of this duty they take an
oath to perform this duty honestly and ac-
cording to law. They then select the
names ola sufficient number of such per-
son as they think possess the legal qnali-
ficationS, write them upon small ballots or
tickets, fold and deposit them within wheel
which is then locked, and securely sealed
bv each one of these officers, until tie day
Of drawing. when the stals are broken
the wheel turned and at each revolution
a ballot is picked ont, opened and read
The persons name appearing thereon is des-
ignated As iuror-and so on tp the end of
the panel. The wheel is then locked and
sealed up as before. This is the simple
straightforward duty of these officers. This
is simply what they have done. That in
the selection of sober, intelligent and ju-
dicions persous" they should fud more Dem
ocrats than Republicans is not strange to
US Indeed, it would be strange if they
did not When the names are once placed
in the W heel the drawing is mere matter
of chance. 1t has been the luck for some
years past for democrats names to be on
top, in all these lottery wheels Espe-
cialY in times of the draft, and when Billy
and others ofthat ilk had fixed mp the thing
by bogus cnroIlmeuts, as thev did in Mich
olson and elsewhere in this county.
All jurors before entering upon their
duties take upon themselves one of the
most binding and solemn oaths known to
the laws, to perform their duties with flel.
ity &c. The assumption that because
suitor or party belongs to different politic-
al party that therefore the jurors irving hIs
case will violate this solemn oath to do
Injustice to him. is simply insulting ard
monstrous and has no place III the mind of
a man who is himself honest That this
man, Billy, who escaped the draft through
tavortisr, IN violation of the law and th'
naths of officers sworn to administer it, with
impartialtv, should imagine others as veral
and corrupt as he is and they were, is not
> strange. We assume that men under their
oaths A. jurors, ,of whatever political party
th"v NAV be, perform their duty under their
oaths and conScienees "wihout fear favor
or Affection" We shall continue 10 assume
this until the contrary be proved.
We know that this man Billy, and this
pretended preacher of the Gospel. Browns
combe, have been harptng upon the drcis-
ions of juries in ihls county, and setting up
= their Judgment in many cases against the
Judge who determines the law and the
juries, who hear and pass upon the evidence
Their attempts to introduce the political
venom they possess, into the jury box, we
are glad to say have failed. In no case
that we are aware of, has any question
been tried or decided upon political grounds
nor has injustice been done any man by
reason of his political opinions. These two
wise "B's"-these two Busy Bodles-were
at one time summoned as jurors but fortu-
nateIy for the ends of Justice, were not
allowed to ia ke part in any jury trials.
Ofthese men who think juries should
be apportiOned among the people in proper
ton to political sentimeuts entertained hv
hem, we would ask how is it with the
:urias l., orr Federal United States courtSY
We ask this c.stute editor, or his backes and
mentor. the SIZE kl;r,,o parson. to name q
single democratic juror that has served
in anv federal court 10 the las SIX years.
We venture the assertion that not one can
be named, We can name several repn2-
li"ans from this county. Will it be sad
that all the maiI-r"bbing, all the counter
feiting, all the offences, cognizable only in
the United States courts are committed by
republicans, hence the offenders should be
''tried by their peers?" We never COM
pIai0ed that they were so tried; nor that
they sometimes are acquitted. We as
sumo that these courts and juries have
done their duty underthelr oaths.
Billy closes his article on the subject of
juries in this threatening style:
We demand justice in our courts, and if not
awarded to US a. matter of policy and right,
1--WE shall evoke power more potent than board