The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1885-10-09
OUR LEGAL LAWS.
A General Revision Nec' ssary The
Injustice of the Present arrange
mpnt.

THE statute of Illinois, that is the laws
which govern legal proceedings are
greatly in need of II revision" said IA
second avenue merchant last evening"
"To what have you reference." said
the reporter becoming interested
why the whole code of justice from
one end to the other. l mean no re
Election upon the bench, understand me,
but to the arrangement or trying cases
Take for instance, the grand jury. Now
can you OF anybody else tell me what
possible use there is in submitting batch
of criminal suspects to that body before
the judge and those supposed to know
the legal points pass upon the case. In
many instances, the grand jury is CONS
posed of ignorant and inexperienced
men. A mans honor, position in life
and yes, life itself, is often in
the hands of this jury. Think
what injury may be done
done to an innocent mans character
by this grand jury system of conspiracy
is formed to do SO as a matter OF revenge.
The person against W hom the charges are
preferred has no opportunity whatever of
defending himself and his character, I'm,
Til after the Indictment is found and he is
stamped in the eyes of the world rs a
criminal, whether he proves his innocence
in the forthcoming trial or not. Once in,
dicted his honor is impaired; if he hold
public office, he is degraded and deposcd.
If his occupation be humble one. he is
all the more scoifed at the bill of the
grand jury, though a preliminary finding
only, is equivalent to establishing guilt
in the eyes of the ajorty of the people,
and though he prove his innocence after
ward, there are many who will always be,
lieve him guilty still. Now, wherein is
tue need of all this red tape. When II
man Is arrested for criminal Ot1cnse. let
him have a hearing in open court, where
he may defend himself, if he can AT the
first hearing, and not after he has been
tried, without opportunity to show his
innocence if he can"
'What other notifications would you
suggest?' said the scribe
"Why this criminal Jury business.
What right has the Jaw to take Il man
away from his every day business and
make u prisoner and alave of i'm; treat
him like dumb brute, kecpin g him under
the eye of baiifr constantly, leading
him to water, to feed, and in fact giving
him no liberty whatever. AT one time
was summoned on criminal jury.
attempted to be excused as my BUSINESS
needed my attention. but the judge would
not let me off. For four days and half
l was not allowed to see my family or
give my business, which was my daily
bread u moments attention | was
prisoner, getting only 81 80 day. where
might have made s., and my business
running down all the time.
"a criminal jury is driven around like
Il flock of sheep, watched and guarded
more closely often than the defendant on
trial, and can see no reason or justice in
com polling man TO be so treated or in
being any more particular in a criminal
than in civil suit. If juryman is dis
honest or liable to bribery, he will return
the present time are a farce, and If twelve
honest men who need no guarding cannot
be found in the county, submit the case
to the judge, who can be trusted and who
is supposed to be versed in the points of
law and justice"