Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-04-13
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
MORE ABOUT THE JURY SYSTEM.

the jury law has been killed, the
Judiciary committee deciding il un-
constitutional and the bill was then
referred to select committee.
Their report should entitle them to
the everlasting thanks of the people.
But it is not strange that Judiciary
committee should have decided thus;
for this committee is. believe, al
ways composed of men who live by
the laD and TO each of these, the
jury has been, aud still is better than
farrow COW; for it increases their
business at least one-third, and their
income in the same proportion !;
while it .onds to strip the parties of
their worldly substance In very
short space of time, and often fits
them for the poor house in less time
than they couli be fitted to enter
college.
| bad hoped there woud have been
some Improvement made in the jury
Law; or, what would have been far
better, that the necessary steps
should have baen taken for abolish
ing the unclean thing and casting it
behind the peoples backs. Now as
we, the people, are vastly interested
in this jury question-having to pay
tens of thousands yoarIy for its sup
port - suppose we adopt Davy
| Crocket's motto: ''be sure you are
right, then go ahead"-and try to
find whether we are right or wrong.
And | know of no better way to do
this than to take an average case, as
we tiud them in the courts, and
trace it through from beginning TO
end. We shall then be able to see
where the laugh comes in, should
there be any, as well as the profit
and honor.
We will start with case before q
Justice of the Peace. Smith and
Jones are the parties. Smith claims
80 dollars for damage done by jones'
hogs. Jones demands jury, and
six men are looked up, aud taken
from their business according to'lat0.
After a trial of sig hours the jury fail
to agree, another jury must be found
to try the case over. The parties,
the jury and the witnesses are kept
| from their business another day
when we will suppose they bring in
a verdict in favor of Smith for $50
and costs What next in this pur-
suit of justice under difficulties
Jones says he will take the case TO
the Supreme court, (Which will crush
Smith, who is poor MANI before be
will ray it; and in this case, be
proves true to his word. We need
not trace the case through the Cir
cult court-we will suppose the jury
fail to agree once and ct the
next term Of court, Jones makes oath
that he cannot safely 60 to trial
without an important witness who
be thinks, is in Ballyhack, Cor
some other place of equal impor'
tance) and TIE case is continued &C.
cording to ldW. Now in this case, as
we have described it, We do not
suppose, that either court, or jury,
have done anything but what they
were bound by their oaths to do.
But it is little difficult for an out
slider, to see where tho profit, or
honor or even the laugh comes in.
Now suppose this Justice of the
Peace had been empowere ed to give q
final judgement 10 this case, would
not Smith and Jones both have been
better off than they are now 2 and
would not both of them been far
more able and likely to pay their
honest debts than they are now
How much worse would it have
been for them had their houses,
valued at $4,000 been burned down,
than 1t is for them to spend that
amount in running this petty case
through the courts till it has cost
them that amount2 And after this
case has been through Justice and
Circuit courts according to law, and
been decided by two juries, why il
Jones allowed to nullfy all that has
been done, and drag Smith off to an
other still moro expensive court, and
run him through that till he is ground
80 fine that the pieces are not worth
picking up? If the State is bound to
protect its subjects, ! would inquire
what protection it has given Smith
in the case here described 2 1t has
stood idly by. and allowed Jones to
Duify the verdcts of two Of it's juries.
One would suppose that the advo-
Gates of the jury cir they were honest
in their professions) would not stand
idly by and see Jones nulify one af-
ter another of their verdicts, without
a murmur, aud urtl they explain
these things we shall be compelled
to believe that they advocate the
jury, only because it brings grist to
their mill, the toll whereof is exceed
ing rich.
| would invite the advocates of the
jury TO bring forth the strong rea-
sons for their belief. Splendid GEN
eralities and high flown legal phrases
will not answer the purpose. We
demand to know Dhy the people are
made to pay thousands yearly for it's
support; thus depriving them just
to that amount of the ability to pay
their honest debts. Probably have