The record-union., 1892-10-17
Old Crnnk,s Dream.

L had been attending court several days
and felt about worn out, for with my Pc
culiar temperament, think two hours
in courtroom tires me more than it did
to handle pick and shovel all day when
/ was younger; so 1 laid down on a
lounge and fell into doing state,
which has been described as half asleep
and half awake, and Immediately fancy
took the form Of an individual exhibitor
and commenced showing me pictures.
looked out on a vast and beautiful
country, covered with plenty, and profu-
sion, OF all things needful in human life;
and this country was the habitaJion of the
happiest and proudest people on earth.
They were continually boasting of their
freedom and liberty. l observed that
each individual man had a string tied
around him, with a long trailing end
which was within reach of the Govern
ment officials; and on close inspection l
saw the words Law-Precedent printed on
every string. 1 looked inquiringly at
the exhibitor, and he explained: 'These
people imagine that they are free-as you
can see by their boasting-but in reality
they are the most trucking slaves on
earth. Wait, and 1 will show you"
1 turned to another picture, and saw
few officials collected with a few clerks
who acted on orders, and they produced
a box into which they put lot of names
copied from the assessment roll, and Civ
ing the box a few shakes they took out
name after name and read them until
apparently they had as many as they de-
sired.
/ asked the exhibitor: "What is this
lottery for? 1 thought lotteries were con-
sidered immoral, and that the popular
voice had demanded that they should be
legislated out of existence"
eaia h.a hot iCn nr,1r- in rlS
life. In law land sometimes in the
cburches) it is considered just the thing.
Wait and L will show you."
The Sheriff took the names which had
been drawn out of the box, and COM
menced gathering up the trailing strings
marked Law precedent one here and
another there, until he bad all ofthe strings
which were tied around the men whose
names were drawn out of the box, and
Giving them a sudden jerk he yanked
those men away from their peaceful oc-
cupations and right into the Courthouse.
\ more dismal, misunderstanding lot
If men l never saw, and | asked, "Why
is it that men who boast Of their freedom
submit TO be hauled about in that way by
one manW
s'Oh!' said the exhibitor, sit isn't the
sheriff that they are afraid of; they have
been taught from their childhood up that
il they break the string called Law-Pre-
coUeuI. ALldb Oib 4NAODStSA L > fanny Will
Immediately swallow them down. Of
course it was the old Monster Tyranny
who first tied the strings around them,
but they don't comprehend that fact"
A great wave of sympathy swept over
me for these poor slaves, who imagined
that they were free men. turned around
and saw my neighbor, Old Man Common
Sense, Watching the performance. He
smiled a recognition and asked, lis this
the way you select jurors? Why not
nominate and elect them, as you do other
administrative and legislative officers !?
II seems to me you would have men
more competent to perform the duties
required of them and relieve the people
from a great oppression at the same time.
Tfthis lottery way is the better way, why
NOT mt the names of all citizens IN box
and shake them up and draw out Gov
ernor and Judge and all other admins
tratiye and legislative officers"
The exhibitor made no answer, put
showed us another picture. A box was
brought out, and the names OF the men
the Sheriff had hauled up were put into
it and another lottery performance was
zone through with. and twelve OF tne
men were stationed on one slue OF the
room, and the strings marked LaW-fre-
oedent were put in the Judges hand;
and one lawyer got up ana attacnec .
string marked Prosecution to one slde OF
each of the twelve, and another lawyer
GOT I'D and attached string marked
Defense to the other side of each OF the
twelve. Then the Judge remarked 10
clerk, "Swear the twelve; and the