Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-01-29

public opinion. If IL people must surrender
either the right TO make laws or the right
to enforce them. the right of enforcement
being the more valuable privilege, should
be last ~relinquished. The verify of the
above statement is demonstrated by every
page of English history.
on the one hand seeking TO enlarge their
liberties. and the government on the other
hand. seeking to establish an absolute deS-
pctism. the one right which WAS chung TO
by the leaders of the people with the great
est tenaCity was the right to trial by jury.
IN the bitter schoo! of experience the les
son had been learned that judges appointed
by the government Were too often the
mere tools of the power which created
them. and could be forced 10 do its bidding.
While juries drawn from the body OF the
people. in sympathy with tine cause of lib
crty. even in the face of positive instruc-
lions from the court. heroically refused 10
become the Instruments of persecution. ard
the government only found II possible to
enforce its ubiquitous DEGREES by abolishing
trial"
not the jury system should be abolished.
but whether or not ii should be amended
said Attorney Ben T, Hardin; who WAS
every man capable of weighing testimony
is exempt from serving as Il juror. Law.
yers. doctors. preachers. druggists. school,
teachers and undertakers are exempt from
serving. But what | am in favor of Is
aI,oliShinS some of our officials and not to
abolish the Jury Tb system s t into IL ! as b a Snam aea TO
~ IlllN 1t libitA WIZ
ing a woman nearly 10 death, and robs her:
to plead guilty and receive. a sentence OF
six months in jail. The fault to-day Is NOT
with the jury system. but IN the manner
in which the jurors. are selected LADIES'
and gentlemen said MIR. Hardin sternly.
the manner in which juries are selected
in this county is a disgrace and travestv
rpon Justice. I know that the manner in
which iuries are selected in Jackson county
Is NOT as il should he. and the otficIai5
know that l know it
In answer to Mr. Reeds attack on gov
crnment by Injunction" Mr.. Hardin said
that il was absurd to contemplate i Jury
In the place of a federal judge to determine
whether or not an injunction should bn
served. I'VE would have 10 wait maybe
three or four months for a jury to he
or wrong for z body of men to set IRE
to a train bearing United States mail. The
law is very plain in such cases and one
mar is as capable as a jury IN ordering
that q lawful course be pursued
William Allbritajn said the jury system
Of to-day Is wrong for the reason that the
class of people who can qualify to sit
OF the jury try the cases more on lines
Ct sympathy than on the law ana evidence
i'll the case.
ut is entirely wrong to disqualify u
man as q juror simply because he has
discussed the case in public" he said.
Originally men who saw the wrong act
committed were the ones who sat in JudG-
ment on the case. 1t seems to me that
men who witness Il murder arc better
able to know the facts surrounding the
killing itself than those who have not
even read anything about the affair in
the newspapers or ever heard of the case
before being called as a juror"
Professor Griffin. Of the Lincoln high
school. crossed the discussion by declaring
that under the present system 1t was a
your trust in the Lord" when Il case went
into the hands of 4 jury.