The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-12-15

NJ. WurIiTR ~. IECkitAN, IN uls hifu-
mcui for II struck jury in tho trial OF
tho Nv LEI suit, sad:
any on y g5cpr'y or reG'oG T. Cd !pc5G , to
hld hack drVtrs, ava men Of nat elias Are thS' ps
are thc, dtcito comprehend. to under nd an give
m ,f,,n T., tis ,a.ey /. te'e re- suning r, GEES M
the minds of -uch men TO take upand weigh properly
tuch evidcnccr'
We'll, there are some very good citizens,
possessed Of intelligence and integrity,
among "hnrbcrs stnblcrncn. hackmcn,
and men OF that class" We have known
even BARRIERS with ms sound Judgment,
and as excellent sense of Justice, as
some lawyers, and who would be quite as
likely as anybody else TO render proper
verdict in any case presented to court.
Men of that class are allowed to sit on
juiici in suits of the utmost Concern so far
III individual rights are Conccfncd-cascs
which involve personal liberty and even
the issue Of life or death. Accused parties
havl been sent to the penitcntary for life
or to the gallows itself, 10y jurors Of that
class II Is held in law that they may be
capable of dealing with matters of even
such vital Importance 10 individual citi-
zets aud the public at large. IL is thus
presumed that there ~ n reasoning process
du their minds by which they can weigh
mixed evidence, related to the glnvest
J questions. ana that their training. habits,
and method of life do not UNIT them to
comprehend. to understand, and give
proper force to that evidence. In fact, the
theory Of the jury system Is that any eth
! zen of puot character, sound sense, and
! fair mtcllig, ncc--cNen though he be "a bar
her. stahl,man, hackmau, or other man of
! that cluss--is competent To form "A Just
! opinion in the most serious eases that
come before court. If tins presumption OF
the law be all wrong, then IL is MIR. PECK
HANS duty To- labor to bring about "a
change 10y which certain class of cltizeus
shall be excluded on general principles
from the Jury box. in all trials. Why,
even on the BEEcnrR jury, which had to
| deal with 80 much intricate evidence, ana
render a verdict 50 important TO the par
lies Interested and to the community,
there were mechanics, cork cutters,
loofci-, wlilow-wure makers, boarding.
house Keepers aud groccrs. The Jury sys-
ten, as We have il, is an English insiitu.
ton. and. in England. AN ordinary Jury
was suI posed To- Ice capable OF trying even
the riDinonNE case.
" Men of that class. including such nou
a- were SO CONTEMPORARY referred to ~
w. Il. It,kuNM, cloth, Il with the most
responsible powers OF all kinds IN thi.
d,uo,ru.o country, mdor the terms OF
opr Constitution. Tbcy are held TO po,>c-s
,uoueh II fuv reasoning process In thcii
mit IS To- cnanlo them to comprehend. I'm
dl-tuul. n'id weigh the evidence M Gin,
most linfu..d anal complicated questions
Of politics nud Craftsmanship. It's doubt
49,. sometime, - difficult business for them
aud thcy do not always act with the per
lection OF wisdom; but sim We have nat
heard ANY, proposition - di-tranchisc them
WHY. an ihr BARRIERS stablcmen. hack
u'Op nul fhor mon q the working elias.
iu th.. CITY, on State, or country. were tc
vote ma ouc Way, they could pretty mucl
manage things 10 suit themselves, aut
could even upset tho pretences of Mr
! WHEELER H. pFCkITAN himself.