The Cairo bulletin., 1914-01-11
The jury system.

cism being based on the theory
that under a republican form ni
government it is the duty of every
American to give q portion Oh his
time ID the affairs of his county
and to consider that when doing so
he is merely complying with n OF
the essential requirements of good
citizenship.
Indeed, this is in accord with the
ideal manner of executing Il laws,
and many Of us have urged upon
citizens their responsibility to the
country as an argument why they
should not attempt to eyado jurF
service, though the system, partic-
ularly in cities, is decidedly more
idealistic than realistic. and it al
ways will be so, no doubt, while
the method of compelling men to
serve on juries continues. The sys-
tenn cannot be Objectionable. il for
no other reason. because it takes the
time Of the citizen. which is equiv
aient TO his money, without sufh-
cient cNchsc or adequate return.
However much it may be urged
that thc nan who gives his time to
jury service is compensated by the
protection and security given. tho
people are net impressed by tho ar
gument. If, for example. tho time
Of tho busy business man is worth
$40 a day to him or the time of the
farmer during planting time is
worth S. to him. 1t Is not easy to
convince either that h. is gettinr
value received when he is paid
$l.50 or 81 a day for serving on a
jury. Under the caption: "Why
We Dodge Jury Service the Satur-
day Evening Post, in a recent issue,
had this to say:
Probably tho total punishment
inflicted on juries in the United
States nearly equals that inflicted
on convicted felons. We should Off
hand say that for every hour a
guilty felon spends in notifying
confinement some Innocent Juror
spends ut least forty-Gve minutes in
a more irksome confinement. In at
least half the Jurisdictions of this
country to be summoned as a juror
in a criminal court Is a calamity
comparable to a fire in the house
or to the dangerous illness of a
member of the family.
I'm Chicago or New York
from the purely selfish point of
view Of our personal case and pronc
1--WE would rather take the chances |
incident to burglarizing a neigh |
boris fiat than to be brought into a
criminal court for jury service. OF
course persons possessing intelli-
gence and some little influence
almost invariably avoid such service
Jury service in civil eases is q
lesser afficti9n. but st.l a very
considerable one; and MANY other
wise honorable men will go to sean
dalous lengths in order 10 avoid il.
1T is a rather sienitcent thing
that the courts are universally re-
garded as a nuisance the moment
they threaten to touch a busy citj-
zen personally. The reason, Of
course, is found in their shocking
ineffieiency--their intolerable VAST
of time. Bench and bar may be con
tent to maunder along half a day
over d matter that ought to be dis
patched in half an hour. They are
paid for 1t.
Men whose time is OF any value
are no. content to squander it IN
that pointless manner, They seek
to avoid the courts as ipstinctfye}y
as a busy mar lodges a bore"
\ great deal of complaint of the
system which permits professional
jurors" to serve on panels is heard,
and very justly, yet it is not imnrob-
able that the time will como before
MANY Years when only professional
jurors will try eases. Not the kind
OF professional jurors who hang
about the court house waiting TO ba
summoned in order that they max
receive a few dollars a week for
sitting on the jury, and ready to de-
eide a case in such a way &m~wii,
recommend them 10 the attorneys
who will probably have a voice in
selecting the succeeding Jury, but
men, either elected or appointed for
the purpose. men who will serve
during tenures such as are proyid-
cd for other court officials. recciv-
ing for their service stated salaries
so that there may be no inducement
to decide cases otherwise than in
accordance with the law and evil
denee as considered impartially AMI
intelligently. When this comes
about. citizens will no longer be re-
CURED to sacrifice time: to serve