Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1884-04-12
Jury Reform.

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try, as shown by the press in all parts
of America, which must have its eff
fects upon Legislatures, Judges and
Sheriffs. Good men in all parts Of the
country, for years, have deplored the
evils of this system. They have spok-
en- of it and written about it. But
now comes discussion by the press
which promises to be thorough and ex-
haustive. Our exchanges, having now
reached us from nearly all the cities of
the United States, without exception,
are dealing with the great problem.
There is but one expression among
them all, that the evils Of our present
jury system cannot be longer borne.
These evils are pointed out in different
ways by different enlightened journals,
but they all reach the same result,
that through the ignorance or corrup-
ton of juries the worst criminals es-
cape punishment, while the weak and
the hopeless are summarily dealt with
and severely punished for the smallest
crimes.
We regret to see (regret that the neS
cessity exists for it) that in all parts of
the country the press is dealing severe
ly with that class of criminal lawyers
who forget the lesson of the law, that
while the worst criminal is entitled to
be heard by himself and counsel, this
means lawful defense and not the
scheming of an expert. A device by
counsel, in the interest of a prisoner,
as contradstinguished from lawful
defence is most reprehensible.
There is but one way to improve
this class of lawyers-that is by inns
proving the juries. Nothing so surely
lifts professional shySter out Of his
element as to set him before twelve in.
telligent, honest men. When this is
the case, he must retire or behave
himself. The temptation is very great
when the opportunity is given to mis-
lead ignorance, but the temptation is
removed by compelling the evil mind
ed lawyer to deal with intelligence.
The tFpth cannot be too often told,
that the trouble comes mainly from
the ignorance of jurors. A man with
out information and without training
in the lines of thought which distin-
guish intelligence from ignorance, with
his crude and dreamy faculties easily
warped by passionate appeals, is no
more fit to sit in judgment on the
rights of the public and the accused
when evidence is to be weighed and
the law applied than child is to sit in
judgment on the acts of parent. The
truth is an ignorant mana man whose
mind has never been trained to think
can neither weigh evidence nor apply
the law. The Judges charge is abso
lutely unintelligible, and the poor
man, if he be honest, is always at the
mercy of some glib-tongued profession
al on the jury.
When the public come to under
stand that the Judge on the bench, OIL
the Sheriff, one or the other, is respon
sible for the character of the Jurors
summoned, and when the public have
the courage to speak out about it, the
evil will be remedied.
If the County Court send to the
court panel lacking in intelligence OIL
other qualities the Judge should TAXI
the responsibility and send them home
and order new panel summoned. Oh
if in the particular case a Sheriff re-
turn a panel of incompetents the pane
should be discharged and the Sheriff
| fined.
None but intelligent men should
ever be put on the jury. Reasonable
intelligence is within the reach Of al
men, but if men will remain in igno
rance, without cultivation and without
information, they must not be put or
juries.
Call for Bonds.