Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-04-24
Test Oaths for Jurors.


Prom iiauishurg Patriot.
In reply 10 "A correspondent the Phil.
adslphia Press Processes TO give an nc
count ot the meaning Of the jurors test
oaths anu OF the reason why it il the
cause Of $50 much debate in Congress. ="
iHe Trfl1 labors TO prove that this
wr"tchcd anachroni.m IN the legislation
Oi the country ought to stand because
" the spirit Of rebellion still lives IN the
south and because IL ls reminder 10
the people Of that section Of the odious
domination Of the Union over the Con.
tcdcracy.' These reasons with others
equally potent and liberal are 20 worthy
oi stuiwHft that there il no need to
quarre! with them. But the Press has
not been ingenious towards its conEd.
iuF pouicnt. IL has hot told him
tA't tLls tcat oath for Juror was repeal.
81 by Republican Congress az carly as
i@'-, but was re.enacted IN the revised
statutes by an ina1yericncy 1t wA-
not the intention oi Congress TO re.eu-
act th" test oath, but the section con.
tanning 1t was taken up in mistake by
the commission To fcyisc the Laws. aud
when the revised statutes were ro.cuaci.
the lurors' test oath was found among
them. This fact was shown 80 clearly
IN The Senate ia the last session OF Con.
gress that the repeal OF the test oath
was assented 10 ia that body with
@chrceiy any opposition on the part of
the Republican majority. In the House
tie repeal vas passed in the civil ap.
proIFIation bill but fell in the disagree.
mcut with the Senate which led to the
extra session. This part Of the history
has been omitted by the Pres in It's &C.
count o' the test oath.
Nor has the PyeEF seen Ct 70 inform
iH correspondent that the Jurors oath
- but "A remnant Of the test legislation
enacted 10y Congress in 1862 All the
rest has been wiped from the statute
book which excludes citizen from the
jury box unless he can swear that he
has never directly or Indirectly given
aid aud comfort 10 the late rebellion.
The oath Is no longer required Of Sena.
tors and members of Congress and there
are hity Representatives in the tNo
Houses OF Congress who could not take
IT. -coniederates sItting a. Judges in
the United States courts prescribe this
oath to jurors when they cannot take II
Themselves. The postmaster general Of
the United States and the collector gen.
crhi with numerous other federal oil.
Gals, cannot take this oath. Ex-coa.
tcdefaics may sat in the cabinet and D
Congress, may wear the judicial crminG.
NAV hold high and hnuofable diploma.
tic positions. but they cannot perform
the subordinate duties Of grand and
pcii Jurors IN the courts Of the United
states. such - the monsir0us incon.
gfuiiy and absurdity of this jurors test
oath and IT Is not strange that the
I'ress has taken 40 much pains to con.
ccal its true character from an euanlr.
ing correspondent. Nor has the I'ress
mentioned the true reason why there is
30 much pressure against the repeal Of
this test oath from certain PORTIONS OF
the Republican party. 1t is TO prevent
impartial trial by jury. IL is 10 pro.
scribe intelligence and integrity and
pack Jaries with ignorance 20 that they
may be made fit instruments OF opprcs.
sion and injustice. The Democrats in
Congress and throughout; the country
demand that there shall be fair and i'm
partial trials by jury, that the juror
shall no; tie excluded by proscriptive
tests that are not required of the Judge
on the bench or the district attorney.
and 10 this end they insist on the i'm.
mediate repeal oi the foul and infamous
juror test oath.