The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1869-04-15
VOLUME 4.---NO. 42.
The New Jury Law and its Abasement Of
Justice,

justice.
The trial by jury has well been termed
the palladium Of our liberties. The in
tegrity Of the jury-box lies at the founda-
tim of all public and private security.
To degrade or contaminate this is ut once
to strike the dcadlicst blow which can be
aimed at the interests OF society and tho.
right Of property and person.
This has been carefully guarded by alE
people who ure not lost to II sense Of soci-
al order and general welfare. Ithas been
reserved for the late Legislature ut once
to imperil the public interests and place
ut hazard all private right.
The late slaves have been emancipated.
They are now equal before the law. They
have the same rights of freedom, Of per.
son and of property. And in this, oil
have acquiesced. -
The late Jury law rendered them ample
justice when it practically declared that
the Jurors should be selected from the
tax.paying citizens, irrespective of color.
1t made no discrimination. 1t placed oil
upon the same basis. But ut tho same
time, by confning the qualifications of the
Juror to the taxpayers, it secured some
degree of assurance forintelligence in tho
jury box.
This, however, did not prove Radical
enough. At one blow the whole security
of the jury box is swept away, and its
value utterly destroyed. 1t is now enac-
ted that the juries shall be SO drawn, "that
the number of white voters thereon, shall
bear to the number Of names of colored
voters, as near us may be, the same pro.
portion as the wh. lie number Of white 30.
ters bears to the whole number OF colored
voters in the township, city, or county, US
the case may be-"
In more direct language, that the juries
are to be drawn from the registered list OF
voters instead OF the tax payers, and that
these are to be constituted OF colorcd inen
ard white men. in proportion to their vo-
ting strength.
T.is Act makes every field hand, how
ever ignorant or debased, ~ juror For
every negro over twenty-one years ofage,
whether lie can read or write, and With
out regard to his intelligence or capacity,
is o voter. and, therefore under this Act,
is Juror. AID nos only SO, but if these
are in preponderance upo" the voting
lists, they are to constitute = majority OF
every jury. -aa -,
Tie Court OF Common Pleas, whose sit
tings are in Charleston, is held tor the
Judicial County Of Charleston, composed
of the election counties Of Charleston and
Berkcly. The jurors are, therefore to be
drawn from the voters in these counties.
AS near as can BE- estimated by the re.
cent elections, there are 1917 colored vo-
tcrs, to 5,573 white voters in these coun.
ties. or in the proportion OF three coiored
to every white voter.
Now the Act says that the list of jurors
shall bear. as to color, the same proportion
.sas the whole number of white voters
bears TO the whole number of colored vo-
ters.". In other words, that every jury OF
twelve shall consist of eight cclored and
four white men. This is the result.
The bare statement of the case is sufi-
cicnt to show the nature Of the laws un-
der which the people of South Caroiins
are living. and the character of the legis-
lation under which they suffer.
Never WIS JucFS u ulOIC suOhoGiouS lSA-
version of right! Mover was There
more direct attempt to degrade and drag
in the dust the administration OF JUSTICE
There can be no plea in it's behalf. The
heretofore law placed all classes, irrespec-
tive of color on the same footing.
This gives ignorance the supremacy,
aud shuts ont intelligence.
The public welfare, the material inter-
ests of the country, and all that is worthy
of preservation, assures us that the time
must soon come when justice will resume
her sway, and when the laws which strike
at the vitals of the people, and the law
makers who would SLATER in common
ruin all that is yirtuous and Of good re.
port, will pass away before her indignant
presence Charleston Courier.