Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-05-09
Jury Service.


peace, happiness and general stabil-
ity of society as it exists today, is the
integrity of a high class citizenship
that is guided by proper consideration
of public and private duty.
There is no getting away from this
very important fact.
But righteousness of purpose and
righteousness of conduct in the indi-
vidual or in a large number of individ-
uals are not alone sufficient to keep or
der and right in the entire body polite.
More Is required than mere example.
There must be rigid, just and equita-
BILE regulations, known as laws, and
these regulations must be observed
with the most conscientious regard to
ensure their effectiveness.
Men of experience and intelligence
very we'll understand how easy it is to
constitute and put into ostensible force
a law to govern any given contingent
cy; but these understand also that
the mere existence Of a law Is no
guarantee of its efficiency; that eff
cheney Is a matter Of honest, conscien-
tious and courageous enforcement.
1t is not to be understood that there
is ground for much complaint against
the enforcement of the laws in York
county. The laws are not enforced
perfectly here: but they are enforced
as perfectly as in any other county
in. the state. However, there Is much
room for Improvement, and every
point of Improvement that can be Sc
cured adds just that much to the
higher and better conditions that all
thinking people so earnestly desire.
We would not like to be understood
as suggesting that among the eligibles
in York county there are many people
who are not fit to sit on juries; but
there are some There are some in
every county. There are men whose
conception Of right and wrong Is 80
lily developed that they are not to be
relied upon, and there are other well
meaning, but weak men who yield so
easily to improper influences and sug-
gestions as to make them more dan
gerous to the proper administration of
the laws than are the notoriously
vicious.
AS we sec it, the element just re-
ferred to is not strong enough to con-
troll the administration of the laws
nrfo q nj
only strong enough to exercise a bad
influence. The proportion of right
thinking, reliable citizenship is great
enough to hold back and moderate the
influence of those who would just as
lief do wrong as right.
But, however, all this may be, there
is need for reform in our present jury
laws.
Our jury laws are not fully consist
ent with the avowed purpose or spirit
of our boasted institutions. They are
not in conformity to the actual In
tent of the constitution of the state.
According to the fundamental
principles Of this government every
man who is eligible to jury duty by
reason of character and intelligence is
bound to perform that service. He
owes the service to himself, to his fell
low citizens and to his loyalty to
right and justice.
It is a fact that a large class of
citizens has been exempted from jury
Tt
originally came about, it would be
impossible to say. OF course, 1t Is
easy to speculate, and we believe that
we could speculate in a manner that
would not be far from the mark. But
that is not the point. The creating Of
these exemptions was wrong at the
time they were made and the exemp-
tions are wrong now.
Under this government no man
should be allowed special privileges,
except for the most extraordinary and
best of reasons. Yet it is a fact that
special privileges are common.
boldly proclaim disagreement with
the doctrine Of equal rights to all, yet
there are few so dull as to be unable
to comprehend the fact that equal
rights to all do not exist except in
theory.
Exemption from jury duty is a spe-
cial privilege to those who are en-
empt. 1t cannot be sized up in any
other way, and those who approve and
stand for that exemption are selfish,
but undeserving advocates of special
privileges.
Removal of all jury exemptions will
make the service lighter on all and
will improve its character.