The daily gazette., 1879-04-22


HARD TO PLEAsE.-The Republican,
not many months ago, denounced the
ancient system of trial by jury in the
most severe language. We called atten-
ton TO the articles at the time, asked an
explanation, and requested The editor to
suggest some other mode, but got no de-
finite answer for our pains. The conclu-
sion we arrived at was that the RepuJH-
can had been so warped in its ideas about
the rights of the people and was SO much |
opposed to States rights and infatuated |
with centralism, that it overlooked the |
great features of our liberal, constitution
al government, in which the laws are |
made to secure to the poor and the weak |
the same rights that are accorded to the |
strong and the rich-that no person shall |
be convicted without trial by jury of
his peers ; and that that paper had un-
Willingly for the time been carried so far
away as to be ready to yield up the great
right of trial by jury which cost the An
ships innumerable, for the system of the
barbarous ages. Now, however, We find
it in mood more consistent with the
civilized age in which the rights of man
was supposed to have advanced to bett.
and more fair and honorable way Of de-
termining mans guilt or innocence, and
pall t,B Al.
drawn by the system laid down in the
State statutes.
We published the lists of Grand, Petit
and additional juries on Saturday, two
days before any of our contemporaries and
it never once occsrred to us to look
into the political complexion of the gen.
tlemen drawn; and it was really a mat
ter of surprise to US to find that the Re
publican and Erery Erening and Conn
mercim both raising howl against the
Levy Court for jury that happened to
turn out once in many years with more
Democrats than Republicans upon it,
And the Ecery Erentng gops SO far as to
GERS interentially with design in the IL at
ter AID demands an explanation. 1t SAYS
1--WE have only room to-day to call at
tentlon to the fact that III the new iur,
list VIII ch We print to-day there appea
very few names of Republicans. ihi
can scarcely be the result OF an acciden
and it demands all explanation from tn,
Levy Coult or the Offices who draw
jurors"
That is pretty severe charge to max,
against our Court and officers. But W,
do not believe any person III the county
who knows the members OF the Cour
and the gentlemen whose duty it became
to draw the jury, will for moment be
leye that either of them could be guilt
Of devating from the law in the matter
heretofore 1t has often occurred that til
jurles contained more Republicans tina
Democrats.
If the editors of these papers will cor
suit the Revised Code, from page 657 |
page 662, they will find the laws direc
ing how the jures in this State al
drawn, and we have not the least doul
that the Levy Court, the Prothouotal
and Clerk of the Peace observed the la
in every particular. And that the
charges and inferences are wholly gratu
tous and false, both as to the Court al
the county officers.
But it is most singular thing that Il
Republican is found condemning t
Levy Court of our own county and d
Clerk of the Peace ami Prothonotary
forming what it is pleased to term
partisan jury in our own coun
which occurs merely by accide
while it defends and lauds the system
summoning jurors by the Marshals
United States Courts, to which all poll
cal cases are now sent for trial by |
publican partisan U. s. p!ettict AIT
neys aud Judges. IL even goes SO far
30 approve of the Republicans in CO
gress voting TO continue the mode Of
lecting U. 5. Jurors when it knows Il
they are summoned by partisan T..
Marshais purposely TO convict; and d
the poor people Of the South are S
from one Circuit Court to another Ia
dreds OF miles from their homes, to
tried for political ofienses, trumped
by lying negroes by such juries 81
moned to convict. We will do our y
ent Marshal the justice to say his jul
have been from both parties and
that they were gentlemen ESQ far as
know them) in whom we had cODtidel
But how can the. Republican object
our system in which every precauio
taken to draw the juries from boxes f
names placed therein Of gentlemen
both political parties, while it fayors
system Of summoning U. S. Jurors
political partisan U. S. Marshals of
norant negroes and whites all of wi
may be, and often are In the South, ia
from one party. But this is character
of the Republicans want of consistel