The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-12-25
Friday. Dec. %, 1891.
Perverting Justice.

There has grown up in our courts system
which has for is object the promotion Of
crime and the defeat OF iuslic. There is a
general complaint throughout the country
among the tax paying class Of the people
against this evil. Dozens of witnesses are
called from their homes and their business
TO spend days in Elkton largely on their
own expense and are finally discharged
without being called to the witness stand or
if called their evidence is OF no consequence
whatever. In addition to running the
county 10 heavy and useless expense many
persons are harassed by interruptions to
their business and mulct in personal expense
for which injury they can have no redress.
This trayesty Of justice is largely owing
to our defective jury system. Large nun
bers of men get on the juries, NOT few
through the system of lalesmen, that are
wholly untitled 10 serve as jurors. They
have little or no conception of evidence and
are the merest dupes 10 the lawyers mis-
representations and perversion of facts
The representation, trifiing and delay OF
justice which the bar has succeeded 10 in
jecting into court businss is an evil which
cries aloud for reform.
A case in point is the harassing and ex-
pensive course of litigation which Mr.. Job
Haines has been subjected to and is assum
ing more the appearance of legal conspiracy
and blackmailing than case of justice and
law. A witness swears to blank falsehood
before dumb jury and afterwards confesses
his crime to the injured party because he
got no share Of the swag. The chief con-
spirators in this infamous plot afterwards
accuse each other for house burning and
other crimes in Pennsylvania, and when
brought to trial their attorney enters suit
for conspiracy against number of the most
respectable men in the county or State,
men whose lives are without reproach or
the shadow of suspicion, while on the other
side against whom they are charged with
conspiracy are set of scalawags charging
each other with penitentiury crimes. Any
jury that such cases of mock justice is tried
before and do not decide without leaving
the box is not fit to be impaneled as a jury
If the court is without power to arrest this
trayesty ofjustice and caricature OF juris-
prudence they ought 10 apply to the legis-
iaiure without delay to enlarge the power Of
the bench that would enable them to make
short work of all such farcical proceedings
which is played before their eyes for the
purpose Of defeating the ends of justice, ard
which the bench is without power 10 sup
press. And our jury system is stencil in
the nostrils of the entire community. The
very best and most responsible citizen.
should be placed on the jury and none
others, but with the limitless power TO de.
feat the ends Of justice the lawyers are
allowed to s'strike' every man they believe
has honesty and judgment enough 10 dis.
criminate between a lie and the truth:
between evidence and a tramped up perver
sion Of facts, and put in his place some
dunderhead or court house suttler, as
tally" till he gets a jury that be can de-
pend upon for 'streason, stratagem and
spoils." who with the thiefsscounsel looks
upon an honest man with jealousy and
envy and feels the warmth and sympathy Of
friend for scoundrel. Our courts Of SO.
called justice are given over to a lot Of
oettifogging lawyers, who defy the bench
override juries, browbeat and abuse wit
nesses. defeat the ends Of Justice, perveri
truth exalt crime and rob the public 10 fill
their hungry maws. The whole system
cries aloud for reform. Our system OF in
ferminable delays dunder head juries and
legal technicalities dispenses the least justice
for the most money of any institution iD
the world.
All Of these abuses can be remedied and
by sending none other than intelligent.
upright men to the legislature and those
who represent the bar in the lawmaking
body should be experienced and honest
lawyers. These are very rare we admit,
but white blackbirds have been seen.