The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-09-27
THE JUDICIAL DRAMA.


converted into kind of theatre on
Thursday, opera bouffe being the pre-
yailing attraction. We reproduce from
THE HERALp of yesterday portion OF
the report of that occasion; a Mr.. Bar
ton was being examined as to his quail
fcations for sitting on the grand jury,
and was asked by the prosecuting at
torney as to his belief in polygamy. The
following is part of the dialogue that
ensued;
don't believe IT'S right if the man
don't believe in il: .,,.., ~
NR. VAnIAs-What Is your belief?
A.-When get there may know.
JTrpGE-Do YOU decline to answer?
Al have answered Is well as L know
how. ,.;..o,
until he can make up his mind 70 snsWer the
yUpGE.-Resd the questions to him again.
The reporter thereupon read the first ques-
ton 10 the juror.
be right, if the man did not believe IN It,
JupaR.-Suppose he did believe in it, what
then?
my priest, III answer.
That kind of thing was repeated sew
eral times, the result being that Mr..
Barton and all who answered similarly
we're incontinently hoisted out Of the
box. 1t is q fair presumption that all
of those excused are moral men, deal
honestly with their neighbors, are tenn
perate, moderately Christlanlike, and
are on the whole, good average citizens;
but because they we're unwilling
to announce that they did not
believe in poiygamy, they had
to go. Barton's answers showed
that he thought it an improper practice
except one vas thoroughly convinced
of its rightfulness and that he was not
20 convinced, at least he was not con-
vinced to the extent OF going into it.
Elsewhere that kind OF person would be
regarded as the best kind of material to
make grand juror out of; but here,
where SO much OF local self-goyernment
as vet remains is frittered away by gov
eminent officials till the smallest posi-
BILE remnant is all we can depend on,
the case is different. Courts and law
Uers usually give the average mortal
brought before them credit for certain
quantity Of honesty aud candor; the
presumption OF truthfulness is supposed
to remain until the contrary manifestly
appears, and to refuse to accept OF a man
on jury when he has committed nc
crime and is willing to take an oath that
he viii indict without discrimination FOL
offenses against the laws and with
out reference to any private opin
ION be may entertain or any
position he may otherwise take witt
regard to the business Of such laws
is certainly step in the wrong direc
ton. To refuse TO accept men of tina
character saYors strongly OF a DISPOSE
ton on the part of those who contro
the legal machinery to convert q cour
Of justice into simply a continuance 70
procuring convictions. 1t may not b
so intended, but the practical applies
ton Of such doctrines as those ne hay
referred to Justify one in reaching sue
a conclusion as that stated, and gre;
many not specially biased one way {
another, viii be very apt to permit the
train of thought to land them at th'
identical point.
If appearances are not entirely d.
ceittuI, other and quite as attractiN
novelties are In preparation at the j.
dicisI theatre, theexact nature of whic
win be disclosed as they come along.
the people hereabOut are not prepare
for almost anything that may, be pr
scented, we can only say that the exper
ence Of the past has been utterly waste
on them.