The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1889-10-15
THE JURY COMMISSIONERS CASE.

The removal of Captain t. +.
Buchanan is convincing proof to the
thinking mind everywhere that some
thing beyond what the act creating
Jury Commissioner contemplated
was desired. He was citizen well
known and universally houored, a
Democrat of the organized party,
and so recognized by every man and
woman who knew him in Florida,
and specially so by the officers of this
court No charge was preferred
against him. No one doubted his
Democracy, his integrity or his abll-
ity. Then why remove him: Was
Captain Buckman too true Demo
crat-too pure a man for the duties
to be required of Jury Commissioner
under the Harrison administration =?
Again why 60 elsewhere to select a
we'll known member of the principal
party opposed to that to which the
clerk of said court belongs! Were
there not in Jacksonville legion OF
pronounced, true, tried, respectable,
intelligent and honorable men meet
ing the requirements of the act
WHY select Farnell, a man scarce
" known outside Columbia county
after making his home there, until
elected as an independent to the
Florida Legislature-an independent,
opposing the Democratic party, their
nominees, and defeating them
Could not the District Attorney, il
he would, tell why this selection was
made? Would he, or the court, OF
any of their ring, if the case had
been reversed, have selected a hated
mug,rump to have supplied regu-
lation radical republican The same
reasons given by the court in justifi
cation of his ruling in the case Of
! Farnell would have warranted the
appointment of the clerk of the court
Mr.. Walter, to the place to which
Farnell was appointed. He, the
clerk, had been pronounced Demo
crat, a member of their organization,
until the change came over him like q
summer dream. Who hereaboutt
does not know these facts:
1t is disgrace to the country anC
a foul blur upon the courts that the
Legislative and Executive Depart
ments of the government realized
the necessity of such a law as was
enacted to protect the jury system
from political prostitution and, bt
it remembered, this was done whel
the Republican party held The
courts-when the organization of tn,
iuries was in their hands. Clearly tn,
intent of the act was to set these
the Clerk and Jury Commissioner, a
watch dogs against each other, or
more properly, since the courts Were
in the hands of one party, the Re
publican party, it was necessary tina
a pronounced, an extreme Gt yOl
please) member of the opposing party
should be stationed at the jury bal
lot-for what purpose 10 see to i
that the Republican Clerk of thu
Court did not pack the Jury for TIT
vile purposes of revenge-partisar
revenge-snd worse trickery. Wha
other reason can be assigned for tn,
motive prompting this act? And is i
not plain that a Democrat of Xix,
principle and fearless determination
as he who is removed would answe
the present purposes of the court
as organized. In view Of these truths
is it not lamentable to read thu
courts quotation of the poet, "tha
earth hath no hate like love to All
ger turned ?" Doubtless the very
knowledge of this thing was tn
browning feature in Farnell's adapta
bility and readiness for the purpose
at hand. Would the court learI
the meaning the Republican part,
gives to independently in politics il
party? Let him search the docu
ments, and definitions, and cartoon
issued by Quay, the leader of tn
Republican party in the recent ma
tional campaign, and published il
Republican journals, defining the so