The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-02-14
THE PROPOSED JURY LAW.
WATER VALLEY, Feb. 9th, Is

WATER VALLEY, Feb. 9th, 1880
To the Editor of thc Comet
Allow me through your paper to
express my high appreciation of your
article of the 7th in reference to the
"Jury SYSTEM" or rather in reference
to the new tangled mode of selecting
jurors. While have the utmost re-
spect for those who differ with me, I
claim the right to express my disap-
prevail of any law or measure which
in my Judgment will prove detrimen-
tai to the best interest of the people of
Mississippi, especially to the Democrat
ic party. Be the objects of the friends
of this measure what they may be, it
will be construed to be a strict party
measure in many localities, and the
Democratic party held responsible for
it. This Jury Commission when Sc
lected by the judge, will naturally
understand that certain classes are to
be accepted as jurors and that certain
classes are to be rejected. Then from
what standpoint must the test of
qualification be made. If honesty
and integrity is made the test how are
they to judge fairly and impartially
between al the citizens of the county
in the absence of proof, because no
three men can be sufficiently CONVEX
SAINT with the moral standing of all
the citizens of the county to pass upon
the competency of each, and it would
be a great stretch of power to pass
upon the competency of a large num-
Der OF citizens until they shall have
been heard in defence of their moral
worth as citizens. Or if the 5est is to
be made on the ground of education it
will be necessary after first determin-
ing the standard of qualification, to
subject hundreds or thousands of
men to examination as to the extent
of their education, from the fact that /
suppose it will not be contended that
any three commissioners could be
familiar with the educational qualifi-
cations of more than one fourth of the
county. If these positions be true,
then in the absence of these impracti-
cable methods the commission would
of necessity have to adopt one of two
modes of selection either of which are
as Objectionable as those mentioned.
That of acting upon the suggestions
of others or of selecting from their
own limited acquaintance, to the abso-
lutte exclusion of thousands of the
best citizens in the state. The first of
which is a doubtful and dangerous
rule, for the reason that interested liti-
giants would most likely be prompt in
suggestions and second be-
cause it would be unfair if not unsafe |
to confine the whole number selected,
to the limited knowledge of any three
men.
The laws must be administered in
the interest of all, and the old adage,
possible good to the great
est possible NUMBER" should be the
rule adopted. have resided in Mis-
sissippi AZ years, and have been famil-
ar with the practical workings Of the
courts for more than thirty years,
md / do not believe there has ever
Deen a time in the State when the
avs We're executed more vigorous or
than now. And my eX-
1erieneo hoo over been, that if you
want to find unadulterated honesty
md purity of purpose, among the
lard listed working men of the
country, is the place to find it, and
hat too, without regard to their
and when ever you at
empt to discriminate against them
md in favor of the more fortunate,
ny word for it, Waterloo defeat will
re the result. If this law is desired in
ny particular county or counties, let
hem ask for Il special Act, and don't
Orce it upon the yeomanry of the
Whole State, and more especially do l
esire that old Yalobusha be allowed
} travel on in the good old way.
II. X. MARTIN.