Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1907-05-23
Boise, May Is.

At the close of this afternoon g ses-
sion Of court twelve jurymen had been
passed for cause by both the prosecu.
tion and the defense, and the prosecu-
tion had commenced upon its right of
peremptory challenge. Each side may
exercise ten peremptory challenges.
There is feeling that another venire
will not be necessary, and that the jury
will probably be selected by the close
of the week.
The court room is well filed, but
not crowded during the proceedings.
Mr.. Hawley yesterday morning ask.
ed to have four more names endorsed
upon the indictment as witnesses.
The day was very warm and the
routine proceedings in selecting the
jury very tiresome. If the trial is
prolonged through the summer the
court room with its low, heavy ceiling
will no doubt be almost insufferable.
The men called as jurymen are most.
ly farmers owning their own farms,
and a few small business men. They
are all republicans with the exception
of about two democrats. There are no
wage workers on the venire. Such a
choice cannot be an accident All say
they know nothing of organized labor.
Could anything be palmer that the
workers are tried by institutions in
which they are supposed to have no
part as workers? The function of
the workers of society must be kept
in the background in Difference TO the
superior assumption of citizenship -,
OF mysterious superiority founded upon
bourgeois ideals of social control. All
the decisive action in details lies in
the hands of those in the possession of
state authority. The sherifi's office
has full control of those ttat are
called. When will the working class
learn that they must control the sher.
s office and every other office. They
will never get justice till then.
The majority of jurors excused have
been dismissed for admitting to hav.
ing formed an opinion. Both sides are
examining the jurors very closely as
to the papers they read. The prosecu,
tion questions about the Appeal to
Reason and the idaho Uniouist The
defense questions closely as to pre-.
judices against socialism or socialists;
also as to the effect of Roosevelt call
ing the men undesirable citizens,
and the speeches of Taft and Gooding
against the men.
During the day a quibble came up
among the lawyers in regard to the
citizens alliance. Hawley said they
expected to deny that there was such
an organization. Richardson replied
that the Statesman said there was,
that no one would accuse that paper of
being conducted by the defense. IIaw'
ley retorted, "nor by the prosecution
either
On Wednesday a new feature devel
oped in the questioning, and that was
in regard to the credence that would
be given TO the testimony of Harry
Orchard.
There seems to be a general anti.
pathy TO accepting his testimony; 50
much so that it has excused several
jurors. This will no doubt have con.
siderable effect during the progress of
the trial.
The defense vhallenged one Wyngate
but was overruled by the Judge. Mr.
Richardson preserved an exception.
The jury system under capitalism is
disgace to human intelligence. Sue.
cessful candidates for the position of
deciding a mans right to life are sup.
posed to know nothing and be nothing.
A premium is put on the man who
takes no interest. Instead of the
highest judgment and knowledge being
brought TO the task all conditions for
forming correct judgments are sup
posed to be eliminated. The men are
not allowed to read papers, or consult
or inform themselves intelligently.
The jury system of to-day, horrible,
unjust and vicious, is still no doubt
a distinct advance in human institu-
tions beyond the time when the over.
lord simply handed down the law as it
suited his interests. And still the in
terests of the rulers obstruct the free
judgment Of the ahlest human intelli-
gence that should be brought to bear
upon the matter at issue.
Men will never pudge their fellows