The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-28
FlorIda,s Unltet statea Court.

] Althou "a the synopsis Of the speech OF
! Senator Pasco, Of Florida, on federal con-
| troll II elections, wlica was te,eg- sDhed
/ from Washington over the country, did not
show that he male any reference to the
partisan acts OF the fficials Of the United
States court for the northern district Of
| Florida, in connection with the alleged
election frauds in that state, he did make
such a References, AMI very strong one,
as appears from the full report
Of his speech in the Congressional
Record. The senator did not
go into the details of those acts, for the
reason that the acts will be inquired into by
the Senate, the nominations of the officials
TO the positions they now hold being before
that body for confirmation. In speaking of
the United States court at Jacksonville. he
called attention to the letter witten by Mar
shall Mizell to a citizen of Volusia county,
directing the citizen in question to make
out 'list Of fifty or sixty names Of true
and tried republicans" for jurors in
the United States court, and to forward
the same to the clerk, Mr.. Walter. The
senator said: cat the beginning of the court
it was charged by counsel representing
some Of the defenda IS that a grand jury
had been improperly formed under the i'm
partial jury law, in which twenty-five out
of twenty-three grand jurors were republi-
cans 1t was charged that that jury was
purposely made partisan by the action of
the officers of the court, who, in violation
of law, did not select the jury without
70 OF
made before the dis riot judge to have that
matter Investigated failed. Subsequently,
when the circuit Judge came there, and the
point was again raised in another case by
plea, the court said the matter must be in
quired into, and the district attorney was
obliged to join issue upon the
plea. Issue was Joined, and i'll bring
ing out the testimony on that issue
a letter from the marshal was read and
offered in evidence. Mr.. Walter, the clerk,
republican, took no pains to answer the
letter, nor did he inquire why these nam3s
were sent to him, but entered them upon the
jury list in the exact order in which they
came through this correspondence, but the
judge refused even to allow the letter to be
received in evidence; he ruled that the
clerk was not connected with it. The letter
was written by the marshal. The list was
sent back by the clerk. The clerk did not
write back to tne correspondent to know
why those names had been sent on, but
simply accepted them, and yet was not con-
nected with the marshars letter, and the
partisan jury was sustained. By methods
of which this is only a sample grand
jury, comprising twenty-five republicans
out of twenty-three grand jurors, was
organized and great many indictments
found against the people of my state by this
partisan jury"
This statement cannot be successfully
denied, and it is not possible to see how the
Senate can consistently confirm the nomi-
nations of the federal court officials of the
northern Florida district If it does con-
firm them it will say, in effect that it ap-
proves the partisan acts of these officials,
and that the law may be violated with
impunity in cases in which the personal
liberty Of democrats is involved, provided
the republicans can gain political advant-
age thereby or crafty their partisan hate.
Let us see if the Senate will place itself on
record as approving such acts.