Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-18
DEMAND A REFORM.
Many Farmers Who Can't See Why
They Are Not Once in Lifetime
CALLED TO SIT In THE JURY BOX.
Hundreds Of Them Who Have Never Had
Chance of the Kind.
OBJECTIONS TO THE HABITUAL JUROR

j
above the age of 81 years is regarded by the
majority of people as birthright, and by
many naturalized citizens as privilege
equally unassaIlable, and though there are
many thousands who do not even ask a
mess of pottage for the right, there are we'll
to-do citizens who regard the privilege as
school-boy does holiday, and there appears
to be a quiet movement on foot which may
in time effect reform if other efforts fail.
Many business men are restive to think
that when they have a case in court barrel
house hummer may decide it against them,
and when they contemplate the spectacle Of
a man stepping out of prison, whittier he
had been sent for grave offence. and STEP
ping right into jury box, they are apt to
indulge in unfavnrable criticism on that
'bulwark of our liberties" and yet some Of
these business men are mainly to blame
(politlcs aside) tor the present composition
of our juries-not that there are not good
men on them, but that one accessible bum
mer may knock out IL honest men.
Many Farmers Complaining.
Farmers. as rule, regard it a calamity
to be drawn to serve in the months when
their crops need attention, but some of them
will submit to serve without murmur, re-
gardlng it as a duty. Then there are many
who would like to serve term occasionally
in the winter, and complain that they can
not get a chance unless they play tail to
some political ROSTERS kite. They point
in almost every locality 10 some people who
scarcely ever miss their two weeks outing
on salary, and say that the system is demor-
alizing to honest politics, as from these reg
ulars are generally selected the fellows who
''ix" delegates for professional politicians.
They prove this by reference to the jury book,
which shows that certain names appear
each year, with the regularity of
flowers in May, and are supposed to be
more welcome by lawyers than are the
flowers.
The fact that the jury fxer is an iustitu-
tion is greater grievance to business men
than is the political prostitution, but the
latter is the parent of the former.
Notwithstanding it is generally agreed
that Judge Ewing has a pronounced
partiality for farmer jurors, and in making
his last selection passed entirely over the
first IL wards of this city, it will astonish
some people to learn that large percentage
of rural eligibles, OF 80 years old or more,
have never been drawn once in their entire
lives.
Makes Quite Stir in the Country.
The same is probably true of the cities,
but then it does not attract SO much notice.
In rural community, when a man is drawn
year alter year, his neighbors miss him, or
it is notable event from the fact that In
time he becomes an oracle regarding certain
phases OF city life and sophisticated to an
extent that attracts attention in rural
haunts, where people have little to distract
their minds.
The above enumeration epitomizes the
views expressed at gathering of farmers
in Moon township the other day, COM
posed of citizens of both Moon and
Robinson townships, and quite number
present stated that personally it would be a
hardship for them to do jury service. but
they objected to the present system on the
grounds: First, that there were some worthy
aged citizens in these townships to whom
such service would be agreeable; secondly,
that the system in vogue is politically
demoralizing, in that it perpetuates a class
of heelers for adventures in politics, and
thirdly and faally. that there is posi-
bility that some persons holding jury posi-
tions once, sometimes twice year, may In
time become known to dishonest litigants
or criminals WHO nave ouuOiSue W
''fx" juror when necessary.
Many Who Have Never Been Jurors.
From either OF two knobs. one in Moon
and the other in Robinson township, can be
seen the residences of four men, all but one
past 30 years OF age, some of them considera.
bly so, who have lived all their lives in
Allegheny county and have never been
drawn on a jury. They are Amos Enlow.
Henry Tipger, Henry Knopf and Charles
Robb, and in the same neighborhood is John
| Manor, who has been drawn once in his life.
Mr.. Tipger has been voter in Moon for 4
years, and says he hopes he will never be
| drawn.
These men all rank high as moral and in
| telligent citizens, and what astonishes some
people is the TACT that 70, 900 good men and
| true" have been selected during the last 2C
| years, and yet such aggregations OF good
material are to be found several times mul
| tiplied in every election district whose
names have never been drawn. Allegheny
| county must rank very high as producer
| of good men. This condition of affairs il
explanatory Of the basis Of sharp practice or
| the part of some noted criminal lawyers
| stories of which they tell coDfidentially
| with great gusto. undiminished by any con
Germ for the injustice perpetrated undel
| forms of law. AS rule, however, only
| tba hx,o