The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1904-09-24
SOME WHOLESALE SUGGESTIONS.
In Judge R. F. Cochran's Charge to
the Grand Jury.

|
thoughtful people and to the good Cit
izenship of the State that something
is lacking in the courts. In keeping
with this sentiment, Judge r. +.
Cochran, of the Tenth District, ap-
~preciated the gravity Of the situation
in delivering his charge to the grand
jury Of Clarke county, recently. His
charge was a very able one, and might
be read with profit by the people
throughout the State. AS to good
citizenship he said:
Good citizenship not only requires
that a man should have a good char
acter, but he must at the same time
stand for the enforcement of the law.
If he understands his privileges and
duties, he understands that every bleS-
sing which he enjoys comes to him
from the protection offered him by
the law. A good citizen must not
only stand for the enforcement of the
law, but he must be willing and ready
at all times to use all of his Chords to
compel others to obey the law. A
good citizen must be willing to give
the services of citizenship for the pri-
vilege of citizenship. | want you to
understand that a man may be thor
oughly respectable, church-going,
home-loving, debt-paying and still by
his Indifference and negligence, be an
ally to the forces of evil who constant
ly seek to overthrow all law. A neg
alive character of this kind is worth
nothing to a community, and may be
a positive nuisance"
He alleges further that the failure
to enforce the law and punish crimi-
mails was because of the fact that in
competent men were chosen on the
jurieS--that we had TOO many jurors
! who Sympathized with crime. He
J placed the responsibilities for this to
a great extent upon the Board of Sup
, ervisors. In this connection he said:
Il am making my campaign with
the Boards of Supervisors, who make
out the jury lists, and shall endeavOr
in every way possible to impress upon
them the great fact that a just and
wise administration of the law de-
ponds largely upon their good citizen
ship and common honesty. If the
Grand Juries will not indict and the
Petit Juries will not convict, | intend
to place the responsibilities upon the
Boards Of Supervisors, who put them
on the jury list. A member of a
Board of Supervisors who places a
blind tiger, or other criminal or a man
who ~sympathiZeS with the criminal
class, on the jury list ought to have
stripes placed upon him and be COM
PEELED to work the public roads with a
crOwbar for twelve months. If the
Boards of Supervisors of the Tenth
District do not stop ~debauching the
public service by putting the ignorant
and criminal classes on the jury list
intend to pour hot vitriOl down theil
backbOneS that will not only take of
the hide, but remove some of the
Joints as well. None but law and
order men have any right to do jury
service, and | shall not hesitate to ex-
pei any criminal class from the jurieS,
and in proper cases publicly d~enOunce
the Supervisors who put them on the
Jury lists as cOrruptOrS of public JUS
tice; if they will not heed my warn.
ings, they shall suffer before the bal
of public opinion"
He paid a great tribute to the mora,
tone of the citizenship of England and
their regard for law, saying as
follows:
England has substantially the
same system of laws, that we have.
and there is not the slightest trouble
in enforcing the law in that country
During the last year there were only
thirteen murders committed in the
pOpulous city Of London, with a pop.
ulatiOn of more than three times the
population as the whole state of Mis-
SisSippi, and eleven of those thirteen
were hanged. How many murders
were committed in the State Of Mis-
Sissippi during that period, and how
I1dIly Vi UuCuI WCtC idliSCh AbS
honest and accurate answer to the
question will bring the blush Of shame
to any MissiSsippian who claims to be
a good citizen. The En-
glishmen regards the law as sacred as
the Ten Commandments. The En-
glish people, from their reverence for
the law, in Canada and everywhere.
rigidly enforce it, and peace, prosper
ity and morality reign supreme. Eng
land is regarded, and rightfully SO, as
the torch bearer Of civilization and the
civilizer of the world, and her mighty
achievements have all been brought
about by the observance of the law by
the people and it's unc0mpromising
enforcement"
If Mississippi desires to regain the
great place she once occupied in the
Sisterhood of States; il she desires
more capital within her borders and
the development of her natural re-
| soures; If she desires the voices Of
| her leading men to have weight in the
F