St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-01-07
DUTIES OF CITIZENS.
Why Public Obligations Should be Dis
charged Faithfully and CheerfulIys

Why Public Obligations Should be Dis
charged Faithfully and Cheerfully.
Periodically the officers of courts
complain of the disposition of men OF
business, wealth and standing in the
community to shirk jury duty, and OF
the expedients of evasion and escape
to which some of them resort, going
SO far even as to subject themselves to
the liability of being proceeded against
for contempt of court. In view of the
Importance of having only "good men
and true'' on our grand juries and our
petit juries, and of the vital issues that
are often involved in their indictments
and verdicts, including property in
terests and the guilt or innocence Of
persons charged with crimes and mis-
demeanors, it is remarkable that any
citizen fit for such honorable duty
should be unwilling to take his turn
when drawn as juryman.
The efficient administration of JUS
tice depends In great part upon the
character of our juries, and the courts
should not be embarrassed or SUBJ
iected 10 needless trouble or delay by
efforts of good citizens to eyade such
service. The turn of each individual
citizen to act as juryman comes only
once in great while--not more than
once or twice III lifetime, perhaps
and the term of service is generally
so brief that even the busiest of men
can afford the time, if they only
choose to think so. At all events, in
order to do each his due share as a
member of the community toward in
surfing and maintaining justice and
protecting the interests of society,
every good citizen should be willing to
give a portion of his time to this
class of public duties occasionally,
even though it be at some individual
sacrifice. 1t should be deemed priv
ilege rather than a hardship; for if the
good citizens shirk such service the
probability is that bad citizens will be
found who will be only too eager of
the opportunity, and we all know what
the consequences would be-conse-
quences that the better class of people
are directly interested in preventing.
There is something almost inexpli-
cable in the reluctance with which
some otherwise reasonable men con-
sent to perform public duty, however
brief the time required. They shrink
from jury duty, from political duty, or
from any other duty that calls them
out of their offices. stores, factories or
shops for few hours each year or
each decade of years. as if they owed
nothing to the community but every
thing to themselves. This is not
good citizenship-it is equal to bad
1t indicates lack of pa
triotism and of public spirit. 1t indi-
Gates a degree of Indifference to the
interests of the public and of society
that is only a degree short of treason.
Every citizen of free country that
is ruled by law and in which so much
depends upon the disposition of citi-
zens to conform to the requirements of
the law and to cooperate with those
who are intrusted with its administra-
ton, should be prompt to respond
to the call of public duty at all times.
He should be willing to serve as a del
egate to convention, as an officer at
elections, at inquests, on juries. when
ever called upon to do so. 1t is his
duty to do ia duty which, if he re-
fuses to perform, and will in all prob
ability be performed by one who is
less competent or less faithful That
which causes men to
shrink from and to evade this class
Of public duties is not commendable
or creditable. 1t is sign of weak
ness on the part of the shirker, and an
ele ment not only of weakness but of
danger to the community. Each and
all of us owe something much.
Il not every thing-to the State. to
society, and to the maintenance of
Justice and the common welfare. and
The better element of the population
can not afford to give over the
work .of administering Justice and
carrying out the forms of
law aud government to the disreputa-
Bile and the untrustworthy, no more
than any Of us who have proper re-
gard for their individual interests can
afford to tr ansfer our homes OF our
private business to other hands. In
brief every man should bear in mind
hat. as faithful citizen, he has pub
lie duties and obligations to discharge
rs well as his private interests to look
sfter, and that those public concerns.
,eing closely RELAXED to his private in
erests. can no more be neglected |
Without serious consequences, sooner
u later, than his private affairs can
10 left to take care of themselves. =
Chicago Journal