The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-09-26
JACKSON'S
CHARGE TO
GRAND JURY.
The Purity Of the Federal Elections
~ Must be Guarded, and Cor
..s&l,s Eruption Eliminated.
EVILS TO BE SUPPRESSED.
This Country Commencing to Tread
in the Path That Led to the
s5I. Downfall Of Rome.


Into u dissertation upon the coming
election. and spoke OF the Importance
OF maintaing pure election. He said
that there were indications that this
country Is commencing to tread the
path that led 10 Rome's downfall. and
there is not a better place to make
stand for better conditions than right
herein the little mountain state OF
West Virginin, whose '.mountaineers
are always free" Judge Jackson said:
Gentlemen Of the Grand Jury:-You
have been summoned upon this occu-
sion to review the acts Of your fellow
citizens, II any Of them have been
charged with any crime or offense
against the federal statutes. The duty
assigned to grand jury Is very I'M
portnnt one. You are to pass first upon
any charge or offense that may. be
brought before you in order to deter
mine. whether or not the person who
stands charged with the; offense shall
i be Indicted and prosecuted. Under our
institutions. this is wise provision OF
the law, because the grand jury Is sup
posed to be q body composed Of intel
Y ligent citizens who can be relied upon
for their integrity to do Just what Is
right and proper between the govern
ment and the citizen. 1t was originally
an English institution and We have cop
led 1t from the English government. 1t
Is wise institution. because 1t forms a
protection to the rights OF the citizen
and II properly administered It is not
only u protection to the citizen, but II Is
"a protection TO the government as well.
2 In the enforcement OF the laws of the
country.
You will possibly have some very i'm
portant matters before you upon this
occasion to consider under the various
statutes Of the United States; but be-
! fore entering upon the consideration of
. other business that Will likely come be-
fore you. 1 wish TO make some general
remarks to you In relation to the rights
OF the citizens OF this country. growing
out Of the elective franchise and the
exercise of which right Is very soon to
take place both under the laws OF the
federal government ana Of the state
government.
Have you. gentlemen of the grand
jury. ever weighed and considered how
vital pure election is to the welfare,
prosperity and happiness OF our coun-
try We live under 4 governments
representative government = founded
upon the assent OF the people. There
There never has been one. so far as we
have any knowledge or history. that ap-
proaches this government in the pro-
lection of the rights and liberties of the
citizen / have just remarked TO you
that It Is founded upon the assent Of
the people. How Is that assent express
ed us to who shall govern the country
and execute Its laws? 1t Is through
the ballot-boN. When you reflect for
rtnv hnt af oil mr., tt,i
Z this country. which Is granted to the
I officers who execute the laws of the
:. lnnG. from The President OF the United
i States down. emanntes from what
Z should be the free and untrammelcd
suffrage Of the people Of the country.
you can at once reach a conclusion as
TO the vast Importance of pure cleo
lions. Whenever the people Of this
. country become corrupt and the vote OF
the country can be turned one way or
another by the use of money, whenever
the free voice OF the American people
can be purchased at the polls. the first
step has been taken towards the decay
and destruction OF the greatest republic
that has ever existed In history.
speak. upon this subject with some
Feeling because think see that this
:. country Is commencing to tread, or
rather to follow. the path that led TO
( the downfall ard destruction Of the re-
+ public OF Rome. 1t Is said that history
often repeats itself and such must have
i, been the observation Of us all. Our
. government is little over 1870 years
old. Its growth has been marvellous: Its
greatness Is wonderful; and 1t Is being
watched by all the powers upon the
5 face OF the globe because OF It's rapid
advancement and its great growth In
lieHery direction. When we reflect and
consider what our country really Is,
Z what growth We have attained and
what we have accomplished, we have
right to be justly proud OF 1t. II Is be-
cause am proud Of this nation, and
proud OF the flag. Its emblem of free
dom that floats In the breeze that am
constrained to sound n warning TO
those who listen to my voice. to be-
? ware! You see in almost every paper
and you hear upon almost every breeze
that money amounting 10 millions, II
necessary. will be contributed for the
election OF this man or that man who
may be n candidate for public Office.
The country has grown so hardened to
this thing, and so accustomed to 1t that
1t no more awakens the feelings OF sem
sibility In the political nature OF this
country, to arouse 1t to consideration
OF what we are tending to. 1t Is time
that we should stop: II Is time to call
halt. It has TO be commenced some
where and might as well be commenced
in the mountain state OF West Virginia
as anywhere else. The motto OF this
state is that "mountalneers are
always frce"-"Montan! semper llberi"
and this Is the best place In the country
to inaugurate that which may prove TO
be Il revolution in the right direction.
l. have no more interest In this matter
than any member OF this grand Jury or
any other citizen Of the state. We each
and all Of us want to transmit to pos
terity or to those for whose existence
we are responsible for In this world. the
same degree OF liberty that was hand
ed down TO us by the. fathers, unim-
paired md with Nil Its vigor.' make
these suggestions to you upon this &C.
casion, gentlemen OF the grand Jury,
because l believe that It is the duty OF
the courts of the country to point out
these things. Courts are presumed to
he and always should be above politics.
The judges Of the courts OF the country
should not get down into political
strifes. do not mean that they should
not be permitted to express their opln-
ions: 1 do not mean that they should
not be permitted to hold convictions.
Every citizen OF the country has
right to his convlctions; every citizen OF
: 4 the country has n right to express his
opinions; but I do mean to say that
Judges should stand aloof from the
whlrl OF political excitement. md. II
they can. set an example to those who
surround them or those who come In
contact with them as to the manner OF
conducting the political cnnvasses OF
the country.
NV attention Inns been called to this
subject by letters from members OF
both the Republican and Democratic
pnrtiea. Had II not been for these cir