The sun., 1899-04-03
Jury Box and Sentry Box.


The annual report OF the Board OF Elec-
tion Commissioners Of tho City Of Boston
contains a recommendation that will cause
surprise, Indignation, and pain In all parts
OF the United States, in Canada, in Great
Britain, and in Paris. It is this:
I'VE see no good and suficient reason why mem.
bers Of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Com
pany should be relieved from acting as jurors"
We see hundreds Of good and sufficient
reasons why members of the Ancient and
Honorable Company should be relieved
from acting as jurors, and the Election
Commissioners must be ungrateful and
reckless men not to see or to scorn those
reasons. The company Is one OF the most
venerable Of Massachusetts institutions,
only two years younger than Harvard Col
lege, only eight years younger or less old
than Boston herself. 1t is entitled to
special privileges for it's antiquity, as well
rs for its shining modern services. II the
musters which it has filled with its pomp
were set in array, one after the other. they
would reach from Boston Common to the
headquarters Of Gen. SAMBo BowLEs at
Springfield. II the election sermons to
which 1t has listened were bound together
they would exceed in cubical contents, IL
not in weight. the writings Of ALADDIN AT.
KINsoN and GAMALIEL BRADFORD. II the
chief part Of the rations that it has con-
sumed in sprinkling the dusty ways Of war
were catalogued, there would be O complete
history Of wet supplies from 1898 to 1890,
from West India rum to and past New Eng
land rum, from flip and negus to the wines
OF Kentucky and Champagne. Surely a
company with such history Is to be pro-
tected tenderly. 1t is monument.
There is little doubt that the disappear
ance Of the Indians, including the powerful
tribes Of the Nipmucks and Hassammessets
and CALEB CHEEsHAHTEAUMUcK OF Martha's
Vineyard. was principally caused by fear OF
the Ancients. This is a fact not sufficiently
elucidated by the historians, but accepted
by all who can guess from the more recent
achievements OF the company what thun-
derbolt Of war it must have been in the
good old Colony times.
or those more recent achievements 1t is
superfuous to speak, even II they are not
treasured by the Boston Election Commits
sioners. The world cannot forget the heroic
band that has never allowed the tides of
war to dilute the basement of supplies,
and has charged desperately in buffet cars
upon Quebec and Halifax. Who invaded
England and brought her to her knees 2
Who celebrated the fall OF the Bastile in
Paris2 Who has arranged a grand series
OF international banquets and excursions
for the Honourable Artillery Company Of
London2 Terrible in battle, yet mission
aries OF peace. the Ancients were never
buster, never more benefcent than they are
to-day Their plan for international peace
Is more feasible than any that will be pre-
sented at the Cars conference at The
Hague. They seek to stuff the world until it
gets too fat to fight. II war ever ceases,
they are the men that will have shortened
its breadth and doubled its girth. NICHOLAS
II. has much to learn Of SID HEDGES and
FRED PURMoRT.
AS men who can be depended upon to heat
the sword into a corkscrew the Ancients
are justly exempted from Jury duty. They
serve the State amply now. And II they
were not entitled to exemption on their
merits, they would still have to be exempt
ed for the unanswerable reason that they
are so occupied in giving and consuming
banquets as to have no time left. They ere
a perpetual jury to try bills OF fare.