Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-07-06
"Good and Lawful Jurors"

"Good and Lawful Jurors"
Governor Manning sent for the
Charleston county jury commission
ers last week and had a talk with
them on the subject of preparing jury
boxes, etc.
In substance the governor urged the
commissioners to see to It that no
names went into the boxes except of
men who could be depended upon to
do their duty, etc.
The matter Of sending for the COM
missioners of course has grown out
of the refusal of the Charleston grand
Jury to return true bills, notwith-
standing evidence that was sufficient
to convict before a petit jury, to say
nothing of evidence sufficient to estab-
lish a reasonable presumption OF
guilt.
The problem with which the gov
ernor is contending is a most difficult
one, and in his trouble he has our
sincere sympathy, the more especially
because we consider the matter as
one that rises high above the domain
of petty politics into the domain OF
public safety, and involving, we might
say, the preservation Of civic liberty.
1t is not fair to say that the
Charleston jury commissioners are
dishonest, because we have no posi-
tive information to that effect; but
we can and do say this: The duty of
grand juror to enforce the law Is
most solemn. No grand juror has a
right to use his discretion in the en-
forcement of laws according to wheth-
er he does or does not like those
laws. grand juror who refuses or
neglects to return true bill in case
where true bill should be returned,
perjures himself. There are plenty Of
people in Charleston who realize these
facts, and who can be depended upon
to do their duty. The proportion OF
such people is as great in Charleston
as in any other county in the state.
Only such men are properly eligible
to jury service, and only the names Of
such men should be put in the jury
box We believe the Charleston jury
commissioners know who these men
are and that it could make up the box
with such names if it really wanted to
do so.
But now comes the problem that
confronts the governor, and the point
upon which he is liable to be criticised
not only criticised but criticised in
way that will hurt. What right
has the governor to say these COM
missioners are not honestly what
rule can he declare the jurors he
wants them to select are any better
than the jurors they do select? The
packing of jury box is the most per-
nicious practice man can engage in,
and it is just as wrong to pack box
to convict a man as it is to acquit him.
What right has the governor to ask
these men to pack a jury box?"
All this argument is specious, of
course, but it will have it's weight 1t
can be handled in a way to make 1t
appear that the governor is trying to
trample on the magma charta itself,
and he will find it exceedingly difficult
to make it appear otherwise, especial
ly in the minds Of people who do not
want to believe in the sincerity Of his
motives.
AS we have already said, the gov
ernor has our sincere sympathy in
this matter. We do not think he is
after getting bills so much as he is
after vindicating the law. We think
his implied suspicious are we'll ground
ed and we think his motives are pure;
but as we have made clear, it is ex-
ceedingly doubtful as to whether he
can accomplish any good along the
line he is now proceeding.
At the same time, considering the
vastness of the problem with which
he is wrestling and the tremendous
importance of it, he is not to be CEN
sured for trying to reach some salts
factory solution.