Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-12-06

liFited machinery placed at their disposal;
his recommended, in the interest of justice
| and as a matter of economy, that the num-
Der of jurors should be increased to forty
eight, that the time of service should be re-
duced to one month, that where deficiency
exists in the jury that deficiency should be
supplied from the box, and that an int
! proved system of drawing, selecting and
summoning juries should be adopted with
| out delay.
A person in the employ OF the government
| who betrays his public trust commits a crime
| against the United States. When that crime
is perpetrated within the district, past ex-
| perience proves that he should be tried before
| local jury other than that engaged in the
| trial of the local crimes committed in the
district
The national treasury is the great center
of allurement and temptation. Inroads are
made upon it through all avenues by which
it can be approached. Every device which
human ingenuity can contrive is resorted to,
and perjury, forgery and all crimes necessary
are unhesitatingly committed to reach the
treasure and despoil the public money. The
constant zeal and care of experienced gov
eminent officials, in every department, are
required to prevent these vile plans being
carried out. The effort on one side is to
steal the money of the people, on the other
to prevent it; but with all the care and at
tChtAOL hH4CAl lOucsL anu pun
lie servants can exert. bad men are some
times successful. Laws have been passed by
Congress broad enough to make every fraud
or attempted fraud upon the government a
crime to be severely punished. The one
great difficulty now encountered is the want
of proper jury system with which to en-
force these laws.
All plans to defraud the government or to
steal from the public treasury, no matter
where contrived, are mostly consummated
in Washington, and when the guilty parties
are arrested their trial must of necessity
take place before a jury drawn in the dis
trict The arrest of one set of defendents
brings to them the sympathy and active aid
of all others who are engaged in similar
schemes. If the defendants are wealthy, as
is often the case, by liberal expenditure of
money they secure the acquaintance and
friendship of prominent men who are of
social disposition, and whose open and public
association and companionship with the de-
PENDANTS is not without its helpful effect
When Il case is called for trial the govern
meut stands alone, and opposed by many
disadvantages, while the defendants, aided
not only by their wealth, the encouragement
and influence of their friends but by q GER
tain feeling of indifference which seems to
prevail in Washington concerning such
crimes, and permitted to depart from the
courtroom triumphing in their acquittal.
CoCupillS anu Iue
administration of justice. Such has been
the case be ore, and such will occur again, SO
long as the National treasury is confided
solely to the protection of local juries.
How far Congress may go in such legisla-
ton it is needless to discuss here. If in its
Judgment the due administration of Justice
in such cases requires modification of the
present system of trial, its wisdom will
devise sufficient remedy. 1t may never
theless be of service to suggest that method
analogous to those pursued in the legislative
precedents mentioned would perhaps be
most approved, and this is in substance, by
annexation or otherwise. to invest the
neaerst adjacent competent tribunal with
jurisdiction.
l submit that the desired end might be at
tanned by extending lin such form and
under such limitations as may be advisable)
the jurisdiction of the United States circuit I
and district courts for the judicial district of
Maryland, so as to include the cognizance of
crimes committed in the District of Co
lumbia.
When l assumed charge there were but
two type-writers in use in this department.
Since then experience has shown that the |
ordinary letter writing and copying of the |
department can be better and quicker exc |
cuted on the type-writing machine than by |
hand, and that an expert operative performs |
more than twice as much work as has been |
uOIS ny tlt pen, anu Ine WOTK produced py |
the typewriter is always neat and legible.
There are now nine type-writers in use. |
Without them, the force under nv control, |
on account of the largely increased business |
of the department Occasioned by the crea-
tion of new judicial districts and rapid |
growth of the country, would not have been |
sufficient to dispose of the current depart |
ment work, and would have had heretofore |
to ask considerable additional help from |
Congress, altogether at least twelve.
AS it is, the small number of employees in |
the department has made It necessary for |
clerks TO operate the type-writers to the |
delay of important business other than copy |
ing, such as collating, ETC., of which there |
is a great deal.
In order that the work of the office may |
be facilitated / recommend that the en-
ployment of three typewriter operatives be
authorized, at compensation of $1,000 each
per annum.