The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1904-06-02
III, that the modern jury methods took
definite shape.

would not be long before it would be
thing of the past, and will be re-
placed by the judge.
''There are many, doubtless, who
will oppose this idea and will say that
we now have the best method of justice
and that this bulwark of liberty must
not be assaulted. All things change
with time and why not the jury sys-
TEN? Look into the jury sys
tenn and see it's defects. Has it re-
tanned its original purity? Does it
now serve the ends of justice? Have
not evils crept into it to sap it's vital
ity and usefulness? Since the
early days society has become very
complex. requiring the very best of
ability and integrity for it's control.
Formerly we had no lawyers at court.
The evidence was given to the jury
by the witnesses who were questioned
by the jury. Now the lawyers get the
evidence from the witnesses for the
jury by asking questions that often
neither they nor the jury understand
and are continually raising points of
law that cannot be comprehended by
the average man, and thus the mind
of the jury is clouded and untitled to
render a fair verdict no matter how
honest are its members. The jury is
not what it originally was intended to
be. They are supposed to be men I'M
acquainted with the facts and having
no fixed opinion. Now how many of
the jurymen fix the verdict in their
minds as soon as they take the stand.
The speaker attributed the weakness
of the jury. system to many other.
things, such as a dislike for lawyer.
i'll feeling toward one of the parties to
the suit: then some wish to serve on
the jury for the purpose of revenge on
one of the parties. There is ignorance
of the law and it's principles of justice,
a feeling of responsibility Verdicts
are many times won by the power of
eloquence though truth be wanting.
1.-The trial before the Judge is fast
replacing that of the jury. This is as
it should be, for he is man educated
in all the learning of the times and
trained in legal matters. He is not
affected by the talents Of superior
lawyer. In the district court many of
the cases are tried by the judge alone.
In the higher courts we have no jury,
but we have a sensible and equitable
plan of trying cases by small board
| of judges we'll versed in the law. capa-
| bic. conscientious, and subject to i'm
parchment or rejection at the polls.
Cali this experience with the Judge
system should lead us to abandon the
old corrupt jury system. Let us lay
aside false veneration for an insti-
tuition merely because it is ancient and
has at one time served worthy end,
and lei us look for the best means at
hand to-day to further the ends of JUS
tice, knowing that the good sense and
patriotism of the American people will
retain that only which builds up just
form of government and conserves the
interests of the general welfare.''
| B. O. Brown, accompanied by Mrs.
Ben Soule on the piano, played a
trombone solo, his selection being the
"Symorian Polka.''
| The audience gave him hearty and
prolonged encore, but the best Mr..
Brown would do was to appear at the
rear Of the stage and bow.
It was few minutes after nine when
President Eaton Of the school board
introduced the speaker of the evening,
Prof. r. Watson Cooper, who spoke
for over an hour, on theme that
| held the audience with unbroken in
terest throughout the entire address.
Prof. Cooper stepped to the front of
the stage with an easy and yet earnest
manner like one about to give heart
to-heart talk and he had his audience
with him from the start.
''There's nothing that is so, but
what thinking made it So" This was
the key note of his address. And yet
the blunt and apparently inconsistent
statement made the audience anxious
to follow closely and wonder what was
to justify the statement. But it did
not take the speaker long to acquaint
his hearers with the correctness of his
proposition.
The intellect was the dominant force
in mans whole nature, and transcend
ed all other human power, uniting the
finite with the Infinite. The world was
the result of a universal thought and
purpose, and all human progress in
acts, sciences, commerce, agriculture,
and all avocations of man, were d.
rectly attributed to the thinking power
OF man. History was only mans
thoughts depicting the record of cur