The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-07-03

virginia auuerum. soull not fo- mas liz
ct UP Tie roper process 10 me r.
cosery = q horse. but therein =.
bui4de3 better tha4 being ~t-r r
such au accom- ntl-amsn n Ee Ht.
struck deep In the ground lal laid
foundations an which ~ could effect
tine =PltHdaI - temple aud ta@ glory
af palaces IBIS talents M t.If .es.
The principle II the ota curriculum
Twas IL fasteu in the youth1l. nina
the history II the law and those &C.
I"uTaf~ principles which Gua.r.~ ta~
Iauper-Stfaet4Ee which eg-ryaE. builds
llr himself Apart fr4fn fIl- "a at-
f-red mental training. IT was mem
Ia! exercise. as Latin AMI Gr-.E train
the student OF letters. as the yuu
slum trains the body. The youthful
athlete does not light II tbs gEiuns-
sium, but trains his body that Ae ma.
be strong III fight there4ft-E. when
fighting has to be done.
Here ana now, / make entry 81
my plea. that Blackstone may take
the place Of "Ewells Essentials
Even with my feeble grasp on the
law. / attribute much Of the little I
know - the study u Blackstone. II
those wonderful commentaries. where
lecture follows lecture with orderly
precision with a charm If style and
with a mastery of language. and. III
the logic Of the array the darkness
Is dispelled ana the light breaks upon
the Intellectual view. the students
mind is filled with gratitude and de-
light. 1t Will be. on the 18th OF Dcto-
Der. next. just q century and q half,
less light years, when Blackstone.
then a young man. began the delivery
of those immortal lectures. bttSin-
ming: Mr.. Nice-ChaneeIlor and Gen
tlemen Of the University" Then fol-
low those matohlcSS diSquisitionS,
sounding all the depths Of the Law
striking every note Of the gamut-
to the final paragraph Of the fourth
book. when comes the majestic admo-
milton:
The protection of the Liberty of
Britain is q duty which they owe 10
themselves, who enjoy it; to their an
c%estors, who transmitted it down; and
to their posterity, who VII claim at
their hands this, the best btrthTieht,
the noblest inheritance Of mankind
What l have here set down. | do
not intend as a sketch of the North
Carolina lawyer nor as a history OF
his achievements; the only purpose
in presenting this paper. is to direct
attention to certain elements of his
character which mark his individual
ity and which define the position
which he has assumed among his fell
lows. In doing his / submit to y>ur
most generous Judgment.
Il now ask your attention to a mat
ter of Importance to the due admin
istration of the law. and for which, |
trust you Will indulge me a moment.
Jury Service.
"A few years ago. a the request
of the executive committee of this as
ISOLATION, | prepared q paper on jury
Service which | had the honor to
present at our fifth annual meeting.
This paper was a plea in behalf OF
our jury system. but calling attention
in respect of its administration to
such glaring defects as must event
ually lead to its decay, and unless eff
fectiVely remedied at once, to the
abandonment of trial by jury; IL sys-
tenn OF which Blackstone speaks as
the most t~ranscendent privilege which
any subject can enjoy or wish for
This paper was published in a
subsequent issue of the American
Law Review. and in recent months,
various articles on the jury system
and its service have appeared in law
magazines, notably one or two in the
March and April numbers of the same
Review. The last two articles to
which | refer, take strong ground
against the trial by jury of any and
all civil suits, and charge the system
with the apparent miscarriage of jus
tice. The arguments used and the
instances given in their support are
chiefly such as pertain to the admin
iStratiOn of the system and have been
brought to the attention of this as
ISOLATION. 1t has been urged that in
many counties of North Carolina, the
jury service was as bad rs it could
be; that the ignorant and venal sat
in Judgment on the dearest rights of
our citizens. and by vicious statutes
of exemptions. or some jugglery OF the
jury lists. the great body of intelli-
gent men, from whom the jurors are
supposed to be taken, are absolutely
relieved of service as jurors. Instead
of performing this duty demanded Of
them by patriotism. love of justice
and every impulse of self-interest.
they keep away and avoid the court
house as something u%nclean. Gentle
men. YOU will pardon me if | recur to
this subject for a moment. 1t is I'M
portant: for. in the decay of the jury
system in North Carolina, one can
see tie wreck of lnat reputation for
justice SO long enjoyed by the courts
of this State.
"The Code Commission reported to
the Legislature of 1905 the chapter
entitled Jurors in Wnich the aboli-I
ton of those meretricious exemptions
was partially effected. This was q
move in the right direction. There
are statutory regulations now in force |
requiring that the jury box in various
shall at certain times be
IulSSd, ItN IlStS lIltide out. ana every /
citizen Of the county coming within
the terms Of the statute. be put on the
jury list and drawn in regular turn
for jury service. l appeal to you
gentlemen, is this wise and mandatory
provision obeyed? l cannot speak for
all counties. | know where it is dis
regarded, and suppose many of YOU
like knowledge of this neglect
duty.
Need of Jury Commission.
we have now in North Carolina
litigation growing in amount and i'm
proportionately with our adj
Vancfng commercial life. and awak-
ened Industrial activity. What are We !
doing TO have the courts measure up |
to n requirements demanded by this
The question is for us to
answer. We have wise and learned
who labor in the discharge of
hieh duties. and who Offer a pa
tient ear To those seeking redress
through the courts we haye a court
of appeals. whose learning merits the
n II a -nf Tho 49, ~ +t1.