Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1867-12-25
the RAFrsmAn's J0uRnAL,
"The Jury-Commiss;oner Farce"

1.-THE Jury Commissioner Farce.
Such is the caption of an article in the last
clearfsld Republican, in which the writer lndui-
ges in an amount of vituperation and prevailcs-
ton not warranted by facts-the gist of which is
contained in the following extract;
..On FRIDAY last however Mr.. VIM f. Irwin,
of our town ppeared as substitute for Mr. Glenn,
with a catalogue of Black Republican. names-
fully prepared in some attorney omce-whlcn
he offered rs a jury list. Such an accursed at
tempt to drive politics in the jury box was never
IN ade in this county before
The declaration, in this extract are unjust, un-
fair and calculated to create wrong impression,
and mislead the public mind in regard to the pre-
negatives of the Jury Commissioners under the
law. To correct anv false impression that may
have been created by the above, we VIII quote
from the law. The SECOND section reads thus
at shall be the duty of said jury commission.
ers president Judge, or additional law Judge OF
the respective district, or majority OF tnem, 10
meet at the seat OF justice OF the respective coun
ties at least thirty days before the first term OF
the court of common pleas, IN every year ana
thsreupon proceed, with due diligence to select
aIteruatlpeiv, from the whole qualified electors
of the respective county, at large number, such
as at the term of the court of pleas next preced-
ing shall by the said court, be designated of So
beT intelligent and judicious persons, to serve as
jurors in the al courts of such county, dur
ing that year
Thus il will oe seen that the Commissioners
are ''to select GkternatiUsty,' the names of per-
sons for jurors-ths. is, each Commissioner has
the ''choice of one out of two" names, until the,
requisite number required are obtained Now,
where is there anything unfair in this
The declaration that Mr.. Irwin appeared as a
substitute for Mr.. Glenn, is entirely uncaled for,
and a graruitous prevarication. Mr.. Irwin was
duly and lawfully appointed in accordance with
the plain letter of the law, Sec ~ and hence did
not appear in the position of a substitute, but as
the legally authorized Commissioner-Mr. Glenn
having failed, (and perhaps for very good reasons)
to appear the law provides.
The assertion that Mr. Irwin ''offered as jury
list,'' a certain Catalogue of Black Republican
Names which he had in his possession, does not
accord with the truth. That Mr. L. had list of
names, and among them those of many of the
very best citizens of our county. we do not deny
But that list solely inte nded (and was only SO
used) as a reference, to enable him to choose the
best of men for jurors Who will gainsay his
right to make such list for reference! None but
the most bigoted and narrowminded of individ-
usls No reasonable man would object thereto!
AS to the asseverstion that "such accursed at
tempt to drive politics in the jury box was never
and contemplate for serious consideration. 1t
could only have originated in the Uranium of one
who is obstinately and blindly attached to some
party or sect, who measures other mems mental
calibres by his own small intellectual capacity,
and bigoted iliberality
In reference t"the ent that the Jury Com
missioners were "a month putting 500 names into
the wheel" we will only say that such is not the
the fact! The labor performed in turo days J;
while third day (the first one) was occupied in
organizing, and in ascer tanning and deciding
VIII at were the duties of the Comm issioners under
tho law. There is certainly enough differ
ence between three days and a month to have JUS
tilted the writer of the article referred to to have
come little nearer the truth than he did.
This attempt on the part of the writer in the
republican, to bring into disrepute, and to make
party capital out of ''law passed for the better
and more impartial selection of persons to
s.as jurors and his efforts bslitle and belle tn"
officer chosen under tn at law, is more calculated
ito drive politics in the jury box" than any thing
we can possibly conceive. No one thought of
such thing and ad il not been for the vspory and
'disgressng' Imagination of the writer of the ii
rade in the Republican, the people of Clearfed
would have remained ignorant of this 'accursed
attempt to try their suits before of the best
men the county produce-a fact, which the
writer in the Republican is pleased to designate a
farce - however, the kind of farce to which
the people of the county will not object.
But, we have already said much more this
subject than we had intended, and will therefore
| refrain from any further comments at this time
| There 9th er points to which may refer in
| the future