Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-06-13
THE JURY BOX.
LETTER REGARDING THE BILL RELATING TO
EDUCATED JURORS,

'''' 'i' iN"rNhhlNt TIE BILL. RELATING TO
EDUCATED JURORS.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., June G, 1874
IL The Editor Of The Washington Chronicle:
see that bill, reported by Mr.. Potter.
rom the Judiciary Committee and provid.
ing that no one shall act as u Juror in the
feuofhi courts who cannot read and write
IN the English language has passed the
iiouse u representatives without a dissent
ing voice. AZ cannot see any but evil
results likely to ensue upon the adoption of
auch measure, / deem it my duty to pro-
lost against 1t as reactionary, impolitic and
nti-rcpubican
Inc Dill is giaringly inconsistent with the
wnolo poiley Of reconstruction, which con-
templated investing tho negro with fuI
citizenship. The Judgment OF tae negro is
tua9N irichn ignorance n. the polls and in
tho Jury BOX II safer than pro.savery re-
heilNh and kuklux scoundre ISM Ac-
'orulngly, we now have colored voters IN
an an l"o 2;hteS, and colored jurors III many OF
.heH. Iho general results OF this policy
nave been honehcent aud satisfactory No
other measures could have given peace 10
the South
IL Is very desirable that this happy settle
uheht oi NcNed questions should remain un-
uISturpeu at least Tor tho present. During
tho present generation uneducated but
peaceful black citizens must Offset race-hat-
ing anu Nlndlcitlve white ones at elections
on JurieS, and wherever else the dntte4 OF
citizenship are To be- exercised. The next
generation will see the negroes educated
and tho whites paciled and cured of color
phoola, so that even then there will be no
pressing necessity Tor tho proposed educa-
tlonai qualification.
oi course. 1t IL understood that tho pro-
posed law Is aimed especially at the South
ern negroes. Leading Journalists are lready
chucklinE over it as an evidence that their
hue and cry against "Atricanization'' Is
having its effect. No one suppeses that
such bin would have been Introduced ex-
cePt 10 paeliy the antl-negro element. Why
was not such law thought of belored during
more than eighty years of ths Fedora
courts?
My experience with the courts in the South
which has been considerable, conyinecs me that
justice can be Ges. secured with mixed juries,
even though tue colOfed element be represented
By llitcrlte men. | could addcue many remark
able facts IN support OF this opinion were it ne
cess1ry. 1he passage OF this bill will make white
| aud black Radicals feel less secure III the south
ne law wou!d have the effect practically 10 ex-
clnie nearly all colored citizens from the juries
wherever tie court rules should require Jurors TO
be drawn ind.serlnlnltely from lists OF registered
voters, from which the names OF illiterates had
| been eNpunged, or to be drawn from full lists
| aud aiterward excluded for lacking the proposed
qualification y bill providing that none but
white citizens shall serve on Federal iuries seems
| to ne but little more Objectionable than this ut
this time, for now the whites rs a class can read
aud write, While the blacks as class can not .
In NJ opinion all Southern judges and district
attorneys who seek the enforcement OF the laws
would prefer that every class be fairly represented
on urIes.
The proposed qualification is arbitrary and use
less Away and everywhere. Iu Massachusetts,
the disiranc.lsement disquldc alton OF Inter
ates Is useless because the prescribed class is too
small to do ouy harm. la South Carolina such n
prescription OF two thirds of the population would
be ant. republican and impoiuc notwithstaud-
inE the Geslrableness ot intelligent citizenship
The EVIL complained Of will cure itself ii let alone
No race can show a more rapid improvement
than the negroes have Exhibited since emauciapa-
tlun.
| n f,ap1AND