Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-05-08
ANGLO SAXON JUSTICE.

Eva, Hawai- May !, 1914.
Editor Honolulu Star-Bulletin,
Sir: One thing that the Anglo
Saxon prides himself upon is his love
of justice ana fair play. We have
proved to the world since the signing
of the Magma Charta by King John
that justice can be secured in a vast
majority Of cases by leaving a man
to be tried by jury OF his peers: No
enc wishes to contend that all YER
diets are essentially just; but the
jury system has been one OF the cor
her stone of our liberties, and it be-
hooVes every man who loves English
fair play to see that the system is
nourished, and perpetuated, and made
to grow in efficiency.
To this end it is the pride-of every
right-thinking man who is liable to
be called to serve on a jury to keep
his mind open to conviction till he
has heard the sworn testimony OF
witnesses to any serious controversy
till he has heard the pleas Of the at
torneys, and the charge of the judge.
There are some men to be found,
however, who can not see the import
ance of this, and who not only form
opinions on hearsay or ex-party evil
dence, but who are so lacking in a
sense of fitness of things that they
rush these opinions into print, and
try to prejudice the minds Of others,
or vent some hidden spleen of their
own, which is often not difficult to
fathom.
An article written by such one
appeared in the Star-Builetin of May
q, signed r. Ledger.
|. The authors spleen against the
one he condemns unheard is evident
very early in his article. One can
imagine such citizen called into
court ON subpoena as juror and
made to answer under oath such ques-
tons as; 'tHave you formed any
opinion as to the guilt or innocensa
of the aceused?" Answer: Eyes,
published my opinion in the paper"
Notwithstanding such opinion, do
you think you could set 1t aside, and
listen to sworn testimony and give
this defendant a fair trial, and render
Judgment according to the law and the
eyidence?" Should he answer that
question in the affirmative, what at
torney would not challenge him for
cause, and what Judge would not ex-
cuse him from serving. on the grounds
of evident prejudice? - ..
The author in question does not
seem aware that while he, is con-
sdemning: a display Of anger on the
part of Mr.. McCarn, he is 4. himself
making such display, and without
cause or provocation. Or was there
provocation? And If so, what? If
one may be allowed to judge him as
hastily as he has judged another, l
would say that the mind of the aver
age reader probably eonceiyes the no.
ton that he is one who has been hit
by Mr.. McCarn's fight for the en-
fcrcement of laws which are being vi
olated that vice may flourish. It is
a good bet that he is interested in the
saloon business, either on one side
of the bar or the other. ......
Should Mr. McCarn be acquitted by
court or jury. what silly reading for
its author would a perusal of the let
C6F, III Qu6SJtOu uldhSs 0uOuiu MI. MI
earn succeed, with the aid Of the good
citizens Of Honolulu, in enforcing
some of the laws for decency and
order that are now violated, will this
citizen shout approval as he would
were Mr.. McCarn to be condemned for
a hasty show of temper? Is it law he
wants enforced, or a grudge gratified?
Meanwhile the public school teach
ers of Hawaii, who are trying to teach
the numerous races here that America
has the finest sense of Justice, code
of ethics, and system of Jurisprudence
that the world has ever seen, will have
one more burden added to their task,
to explain why we have among us a
man who would rush into print with
display of anger and senseless preju-
dice which would disqualify him for
Juror in any case where cool judgment
and a decent sense of justice were
expected of him.
F. S. HAFFORD.