Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-04-27
Contributions may be left at the business
sfaes Of Evkls Evening.
the Drawing Of Jurles.

The editorial referring to the general
character Of somo of the jury panels that
are now being drawn in this State, taken
from the State News Of Dover, which we
reprint elsewhere in this issue, applies
particularly to a condition that prevails
in Kent county, and generally to the
entire State.
This condition is one that should
slornly impress upon our people the
necessity for a reform In the system Of
drawing juries. The plan Of tho names
being placed in the jury box by the
members Of the Levy Court, who, by
reason Of their residence in different parts
Of the county, are presumed 20 be able
20 select the names Of good and repre-
sentative citizens Of their respective dis
tricts for jury service, is, in principle, an
ideal one. And so il is in theory, but
not in the practice Of these days Time
was when the grand jury represented the
very cream OF the county's citizenship,
and petit iuries were invariably COM
posed Of solid, respectable citizens. But
that was in the days when political debts
were not so numerous or pressing, and
when the idea Of paying them through
the modest compensation allowed by
law for jury service never entered the
mind Of the most partisan Of politicians.
Tho change has been noticeable in two
ways: One, by strong inclination to
partisan jury panels; the other by a
general docadcnce of their personnel.
Time was when, for brief season, the
petit jury panel in New Castle county
contained the name Of few men who
were not Democrats in politics. This
was mainly due TO the fact that the Levy
Court wasa unanimously Democratic body
and the member, in selecting names fol
the jury boxes had IN mind his Demo.
cratic neighbors rather than his Repub.
ican acquaintance. But the element
Of rank partisanship was also responsible
10 a certain degree, and Democrats wer'
preferred to Republicans in the duty o
selecting those to try causes betweei
man and man.
Later came real and repulsive partisan
ship In the selection of names for th
jury boxes, under the regime Of the Uniol
Republican Levy Courts Of Sussex county
Democratic members Of the body wer
not permitted TO select the name
from their districts TO be place
in the box, but the service was arrogantl
assumed by the Union Republican men
bers Such gross partisanship had il
natural results.
The deterioration in character of III
jury panels is solely due to the ofiensi,
system Of making jury service, with 4
moderate compensation SO a day an
mileage Of 8 cents a mile for grand juror
and 81 a day and mileage for petit juro
"a medium Of paying petty politic
workers for their political services.
anyone desires a revelation Of the natur
results Of this evil system Of providir
court juries let the records of a term
the Superior Court Of New Castle count
be examined. The number of cases T
ferred 20 special iuries is surprising. A
torneys in charge Of actions involvir
large interests viii not consent to entru
their decision 10 the hands Of the mi
who so frequently are selected for q
regular jury panels
Upon several occasions attempts ha
been made in the Legislature to chan
our system Of drawing i,uies, but invariab
they have been defeated by selfish poll
cal interests. The suggested change W
a system Of two jury commissioner
from each Of the two leading polite
parties, in order to insure absolute no
partisanship-to whom should be q
trusted the duty Of filling the jury box
with names from which the panels We
70 be drawn This system has prevail
in the United States District Court
years, with complete satisfaction. Wit