The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-06-23
THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE
JUROR.

The citizens OF State are often called
upon and required to perform unpleasant
and responsible duties for the welfare OF
their commonwealth. There is perhaps
no duty required Of a citizen that is more
repugnant to his nature and at the same
time more solemn in its responsibility
than that enforcing him to become q
judge Of the guilt of an accused party
where death Ia the punishment following
conviction. The duties Of the jurymau
are both delicate and responsible. He is
required to give the accused the benefit
Of every reasonable doubt, yet he must
not forget that his duty to his country is
Just as binding and sacred as it Is to the
prisoner In the dock. Justice and the
preservation Of society require that the
juryman should beas prompt to condemn
where guilt is established as to acquit
where innocence is apparent.
The jury that Is required to sit in judg-
ment on the cases of the defendants in
next weeks Court will probably have to
try FIVE cases, perhaps six, in which the
life or the death of the prisoner will be in
their keeping. They will be solemnly
sworn to "well and truly try and true
verdict give according to the evidence"
We would not willingly say aught to
prejudice any mans case, but we desire
to call attention to few facts that are of
import tance to the public at present:
: /. Within our County some heirous
crimes have been committed in the lastfew
months. In at least one case the terrible
vengeance of righteously indignant peo-
pie was averted only by the hope held ont
that justice would be done at the time Of
trial.
3. When the guilty escape punishment
because of faithlessness IN the part of the
jury, s'the jury' Is responsible for the
miscarriage Of Justice and not "the
Court" as is usually charged.
! 8. Iynoh law Is too often rssorted to in
our State Mob law can be suppressed
only when the people are brought to be-
ieve that juries viii not Alinch one iota
in the discharge Of their duties.
I. The lawsofthe Creator ofman justify
the shedding of blood when blood has
been shed. No juror, then, should scru-
pie to find q verdict that would condemn
. man guilty Of capital crime to the
heaviest punishment that can be inflicted
upon him because of weak and unrea-
sonable sentiment that by 80 doing the
guilt Of the death Of the condemned
would be laid at his door, and for which
he would be morally responsible. Rather,
should he fail TO condemn where he finds
guilt, he becomes an alder and abetto- Of
the criminal.
: s. When ajury finds a verdict APPROX
ed by their consciences the result will al
most surely meet the approval Of man.
kind. When they stife conscience and the
guilty escape theverdict will just as sure
lycause dissatisfaction and murmurings,
and aggrieved feelings will look to lynch
law for vengeance.
What Is said above is not directed
especially at the jurors who do duty
next week. It's application is general.
We doub. not that our present jurors are
men good and true, who live in the fear,
Of God and for the good of their State and
the psacs and security Of their firesides,
and that they will do exact Justice be-
tween the estate of South Carolina and
the prisoner at the bar"