Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1867-01-25
8loforo 9nqlllrer.
A GENERAL JURY COMMISSIONER
AEF

A GENERAL JURY COMMISSIONERS
The agitation Of this subject, growing out
Of the abuse OF the present system Of Sc
lecting juries, IN many counties where the
fossil remains of the corrupt and efete
Democratic Party maintain a death-like |
hold upon the few spoils Of ofiee, will lead, |
we hope, to the adoption Of a general Law
regulating the selection Of those to whose |
hands the lives and property Of the citizens
of the State are committed Under the
old system, the trial BY Jury is becoming .
mere By y-word ana failure. This was the
case 10 this county None but the viest
partizans, of the most venomous Copper
head stripe, with hardly a Republican TO
even modify or neutralize them, were placed
n, he wheel If good men had been select
aJ it would have been quite another matter.
Tlc merest tools and drones in the county
were the fortunate ones, and to make place
for these, hundreds who would have
adorned the Jury and who were above parti-
zan prejudices, were compelled to stand
aside. So low down in theseaie Of intellect
and intelligence did the Jury become, that
1t was sometimes very difficult to select one
out Of twenty four, who was capable Of
acting the part of Foreman to the Grand
Jury.
This difficulty, happily, has been entirely
removed by the Jury Commissioner Bill.
New faces, bean,ing with intelligence and
honesty, now grace the Jury-box. Old At
torneys, who have practiced for an age, who
had their stereotyped juries, Court after
Court bite their lips, and petulently in
quire the names Of those, whom they have
right to suppose, from their countenancos,
might be Indifferent to the sophistries which
too frequently characterize the members Of
the bar Of ten or fifteen years standing.
And not unfIequently do we behold the
counsel on both sides challenging the best
men called to the box re have seen eight
men leave the Jury-box, that would do hon
or to any cause; four challenged because
they were Republicans and like number
because they were Democrats. This is moi
creditable to counsel, and it is an insult tC
the good sense of those who are rejected
The intelligent christian man, who would
deliberately and solemnly take an OATH be-
fore High Heaven, to render verdict II
accordance with the evidence, and then al
low his Judgment to be warped by part!
preiudices, is a criminal too vile to be de
scribed and when counsel challenge him fo
any such reason, they virtually suspect tha
he oight he c11iltv If ,,nriuys,
Though the Jury Commissioner system
has entirely revolutionized the juries in thi
county, and has wrought such a health,
improvement in the dispensation of Justice
we do not think that the bill, as it nov
stands, would be the proper bill for Gen
throughout the State, the bill must be Ediiul
table. The Republican Party can afford t
pass such law, and future generations wi
sing hosannahs to its name, for the bless
ings it viii have conferred. We would sug
gest that the Commissioners perform all tn
duties conferred upon them by the presen
bill, and that the elections take place
the same manner as now directed, but tha
they be elected to serve for the term of on
year, and in the selection of jurymen, the
each select from each township, ward, G
borough, juries in proportion to the vote
received by them respectively at their ele,
ton In other words, ifJohn Smith, Dem,
crat, receives 200Yotes in CumberlandV alley
and Richard Brown, Republican, 50 votes
if the whole number of jurors for one FL
ing Of the box required from Cumberlan
Valley, be 28; Mr.. Smith selects 2Oand Nh
Brown of that number on the othe
r-l-.-- - -rN----;sIo.aa Nv Provn P,
ceiyes 100 votes, and Dlr. Smith 80 NJ
Browns complement, in the same propol
tion would be 70 and Mr.. Smith 3. TIL
would be infinitely more fair than NJ
Smith selecting II cut of bis 30 vote
This plan ought to be satisfactory to all pa
ties. In Republican as well as Demoera
ic counties it would leave the majority
majority Of the jurors. In Lancaster as a
instance, the Republicans would have 6
and the Democrats IS per cent. of th
whole number of Jurors. Again, in Yorl
the Democrats, 50 per cent. and the Repul
lcans. Al This would be decided in
provement upon the exceptional one or tw
Republicans that reach the jury, unde
the present system.
We have tried the Jury COMMISSIONS
system in this county for one year, and W
are satisfied that the results will warrant il
adoption, with proper improvement.