The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-12-12
IURIES.

Twenty-Five men from selection OF 2OO
of the most intelligent and competent citi-
zens of the county are drawn to serve as
jurors, whose duty it is made by the law,
to hear and determine, without favor or par
TALLY, all cases brought before them. But
it would be matter of establishment to a
stranger, unacquainted with "ways that
are dark and tricks that are vain," known
to the present generation of lawyers, In
looking over the list in the annual county
statement, to find the number of "tales-
men, accredited there. For the trial of
all important cases, Judging from the Gus
tom, there is scarcely man to be found on
the regular panel who is fit to sit in a jury
box. Now mark you, it is the duty of the
circuit judges and clerk in the presence of
the members Of the bar, first to select zoo
of the most intelligent, honest and discreet
men from the assessment books and poll
lists of the county, from whom to draw As
names, to constitute grand and petit Juries
for each term Of court. Now in the perform
ance of this grave and important duty, the
ends of justice and the public interest are
willfully ignored, or the bar is allowed
privilege which stultifies the former act of
the Judge, and greatly increases the county
expenses. But all who are familiar with
the proceedings of our courts, know that
the iuries are as general thing, judiciously
selected, and represent fair average of the
intelligence and ability of the best popula-
ton of the county. Twenty-Five Of these
men are selected as petit jurors, ostensiby
for the purpose of hearing and deciding
according to the law and evidence cases in
litigation. 1t is reasonable to suppose that
any cases brought before court for adjudi-
cation, for the trial of which it is custom
airy for juries to be impannelled, that twelve
out of these % select men could be readily
chosen, who would hear and adjudge the
case legally and justly, as it were possible
for such a tribunal to do, barring any
amount of sorting and challenging. 1t has
been noticed, we doubt not by every one
who has attended the county court, even
though such visits to the seat or temple of
Justice may have been but occasional, that
the tallies brought up to take the place of
the regular panel, are often composed of
very ohiectional material and that the very
best of these 'tallies' are never an i'm
provement in any particular, on the regu-
larry summoned jurors.
1t is dear to every one, however, without
the necessity of further analysis, that the
custom of going outside Of the regular pan
mel to find jurors, when the members of
the panel are unemployed, has grown into
grave abuse, the object of which is not to
insure justice; but, if possible, to defeat
the ends of justice.
The practice pursued in almost every
grave criminal case, in selecting .uries, is
an insult to the integrity and intelligence
of the panel summoned to hear and deter
mine causes for the session.
The counsel for the defense, by long Gus
tom, has been allowed to abuse privilege
which originally grew out of a mistaken
charity toward the criminal. The very
best men Oh the jury are " challenged
because they are sufficiently intelligent and
conscientious to form correct judgment
from the law and the facts in the case, and
because it is feared that the attorneys for
the defense would be unable to confuse and
lead them astray; and the merest ninnies
are frequently selected as tallies, whom no
Judge or sheriff would ever think of select
ing to make up the jury for the term.
Now it is fact SO notorious that none ever
think of denying it, that the object, in
ninety-nine times out of every hundred, in
much challenging jurors, is to defeat the
ends Of justice. Unless judge was a
relative of the party whose case was before
court or had been his counsel formerly in
the case, who would ever think of chal-
longing him on the score of untitness be-
cause he had perhaps read a newspaper
account of the case, or heard from eye wit
nesses at the time of the occurrence, the
incidents of the case? And it is equally
absurd to challenge a respectable juror,
such man as has been selected in the legal
manner to try such causes as may be brought
into court, for less weighty motive; and
this outrage upon Justice and insult to
intelligence and competency should be
abolished, and all jury cases be tried be-
fore the regularly constituted PANEL. The
ends of justice would be much better SUBJ
served if such q reform were effected and
the costs of our courts would be greatly
lessened. The expense which is entailed
on the county at every term of court, by
the custom of calling in outsiders to try
cases, while the regular jurors are stand
ing round idle, is very heavy.
AS the land pays the largest share of
taxes to defray court expenses outside large
cities, such abuses, as we have been point
ing out, will never be reformed until the
land holders, the farmers, by association
and cultivation, become fitted for legisla-
tors, and make themselves familiar with
abuses which rob them annually in taxes
to the amount of thousands. At present,
through want of proper organization and
their deuse ignorance of public matters,
they are as helpless as children. They are
making some progress toward a reform in
this direction and we trust the day is not
very distant when they will be able to die
tate reforms that will result in substantial
benefit in furthering the ends of justice,
and curtailing the public expenses.
LIGHT WANTED.-The following para
graph appears among the minutes of the
School Board published in to days Wing:
"The Treasurer reported that in accord
ance with the order of the School Board,
passed at the last meeting, he had made
demand upon the County Commissioners
for the sum Of $40, 1897, the amount of
arrears due on the various levies made for
the support of the public schools, since
1868 uprto LIST of December 1874 and also
interest on these deficiencies previous to
1868, amounting to 81, SOD. g."
This is very remarkable demand on the
part of the School Board. claim of
s12,O04.59, made by them on the County
Commissioners for money levied for public
school purposes, and withheld by the Coun-
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