The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1898-01-20
BURNING WORDS.
A SENSIBLE CHARGE.
Who Ought to be Jurors.

jury at Wake Superior court last week
1t is spicy and to the point.
He began with the jury itself, ane
said he thought the law requiring The
County Commissioners to purge the
jury on the first of June each year was
a good one.
II like that word purge. We can.
not be too careful with the jury. If il
Is corrupted the whole stream of jus.
tice is polluted. I wish now to call
your attention to several classes of men
whose names ought not to be allowed
In the jury box.
"First, of course, is the man who
tells lies. No matter what his position,
the man who does not tell the truth
has no business on jury. He is not
tit to pass upon the rights of another.
The business man who deceiyes his GUS
toners is not fit to serve on a jury.
Lawyers are also sometimes guilty of
dishonest methods in their practice :;
but for the most part they are honest
and law abiding. I've been on the
bench several years, and I've not found
more than half dozen attorneys who
were not honest, reliable and honorable.
OF course, though, this class are not
eligible for jurymen. The same rule
also applies to newspaper men. They
are allowed great deal OF latitude.
They are the conservators of public
morality and the liberties of the people.
But they ouqht to be sure what they
publish Is true. If it is not, it will
hurt somebody. A correction never
catches up with the original publica-
ton, and even it it does somebody will
believe the first and not the second.
MEN who drink to excess ought not
to serve on jury. Such a man is not
fit to pass upon the rights of his fellow
citizens, or even of his own.
"The loafer around town-the pro-
tessional juror-who has no way OF
making living, should never, under
any circumstances, be allowed on
jury.
"Men who cheat..and swindle. There
are men in all professions who do this
not only horse-swappers, but mer-
chants, farmers, lawyers and others.
knew a man in Franklin county
who slipped off some OF his tenants
best tobacco and sold it in dead mans
name in order to defraud the tenant.
"Men who violate the internal rev.
enue law. The best thing that can hap
pen to such a man, for the community
In which he lives, is for him to get in
to the United States penitentfary.
You ought to break up this sort of
thing. I don't advise you to be spies
and informers, but If man starts up
a moonshine distillery, go to him and
tell him he must stop it. That if he
doesn't do it, it will be broken up by law.
Recently held court in Madison
county, and there were nine men in
Jail for murder<and every one of them,
was told, was committed at moon
shine distillery.
"Men who violate the law in every
respect. Men who don't obey the laws
themselves are not fit to serve on the
jury that must pass on other law
breakers. As an individual you some
times say law is bad one, but you
must obey it, and as a juryman you
must see that it is enforced without
regard to your individual opion. Then
there are men in your community
whom you, as private citizen, would
be sorry to see punished, but you
must carry out your oath. You must
know no man as friend or enemy in
the discharge of your duties"
Another offense will call to your
is the selling OF cigarettes to
minors. It will take some little trou
BILE to look into this. There is hardly
in the world that Is doing
so much harm to the youth OF the |
land. You ought to have it stopped
There is law against it; have it en-
Our GRANDMOTHER REMEDY.