The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1883-06-29
- SV 'A~SVS1X0
minneapolis Tribune.)
The Jury System.
(st. Paul pioneer Press.)

;Obl1ge A SUBSCRIBER.
The substitute referred to is thai
proposed by Mr.. stickney in q recent
number of the Century, which has been
the subject of wide discussion in the
public press. He maintained that the
ends Of justice would be far more salts.
factorily attained by the appointment OF
special tribunals for the trial of cases
now submitted to juries-these tribunals
to be composed of small number Of
competent but experienced men, learned
in the law, who should determine all
questions Of law. and f;,ct in the cases
brought before them, unanilnity being
required and appeals abolished. An
example of the workings of such sys-
TEN as this is to be found in the court
OF claims, which has been in operation
for the past twenty-eight years. In n
letter upon this subject, quoted by Mr..
Stickney in paper defending his propo-
sition from adverse criticisms, Judge
Richardson declares that not one of the
objections brought against the plan has
been realized in practice. The work Of
the court has been expeditions, economi-
cal and satisfactory to those who have
had cases brought before it. And the
experience of this court seems to justif y
the requirement ct un..nimity which MIR.
Stickney regards as important. Congress,
i'm order to provide against delays result
ing from disagreement, enacted 4, rule
some years ago that the concurrence Of
three judges out, of five should be ncces.
eary to the decision of any case. Judge
Richardson AYERS that there has rarely
been case in which at the end of the
judges conference, there has been q
single dissenting voice to the findings in
whole or in part-and never more than
one-and adds, that at the present term
there has not been single case of dis
agreement as to law or the fact" But
whether unaliimity should be required
Tor final decision, or whethera re-trial
or an appeal to a higher court should be
allowed when the tribunal is divided in
opinion, are questions of detail, which
do not affect the general proposition that
the decision of a tribunal composed of
men learned in the law and accustomed
to weigh evidence, is far more likely
to be an intelligent and just one
than that of q jury of men casually
picked up from the streets, most of them
wholly unframed in such matters, some
of them ignorant, others stupid, and all
of them who are not lawyers are more
Ikelyto be influenced by the adroit
sophistries and personal appeals of the
advocate than by the actual facts and
Equities of the case.
Forming A State.
Sioux Falls Press.)
The great work of forming state has
fairly commenced. The preliminary
convention to take the first steps toward
the organization of a state in South
Dakota is thing of the past. It has
done its work nobly and we'll, and in the
history of the politics of this Territory
now, and the new state that is to be, it
will occupy high place as gathering
of marked ability. There is nothing
about the convention that cannot be
looked upon retrospectively with plea
sure, save one or two episodes, which in
themselves are trifes. The deliberations
were conducted with the greatest
sagacity. And the ordinance which was
drafted providing for the constitutional
oou vobt;oy, a ~ ~, a forp,ot;o,, ~, ekoko
is not only model of political acumen,
but it is likewise model of literary
excellence. We need not fear for the
welfare of our young ship of state, that
is to be, with such shrewd pilots at the
hehn..s
Hope for Better Days.
walsh County Times)
Without indulging in any exaggerated
statements it is safe to say that no town
in Ohio with the same opportunities has
made the same effort to improve that
Grand Forks and other towns of the Red
River Valley have put forth. And vet
there are some painful facts to be faced.
The existence oftwenty three saloons, of
brothels, of gambling resorts, although
"under the strictest surveillance" in
q small city like Grand Forks is to be de-
plored and amended. It was certainly
Aot to the credit of that city that two of
her prominent citizens gave bonds for
the appearance ola notorious gambler
who had narrowly escaped killing
brother desperate. And Grand Forks is
no W Jrse t.,an other places of its size,
nor are these things mentioned from any
i'll feeling. But the evils exist there and
elsewhere, and good people deplore them.