Year: 1878




upoa The citizen, not the least Import


ant Is that Of Jury service.


We have had occasion, not unffe-


qusntly, to be present In our OWE


Courtroom, pending the investigation


Of4hs most important causes, both civil


and criminal, and have been deeply


and profoundly impressed with the


conviction that there 10 an urgent ne


csssity for some decided reformation


In this department Of the public ser


vice.


We have seen, more than once, ju-


rOrs impanelled to pass upon the


dearest rights Of the citizen, who had


or ct least majority Of whom had, no


more conception Of the duties they


were called upon TO discharge !han 8


child OF tender years. We remember


with dislinctness on one occasion, to


have casually dropped into the Court


house when 9 man was being tried for


his life. The Jury who bad the cause


under consideration was composed


partly of both races, but among the


tvelve there we're only one or two Of
respectable intelligence. We wonder
cd at the time II there was no possible
way TO remedy the evils Of our Jury
serVicel There !. in every communi'
ty Q set Of men, ana our own is BY no
means free from the reprOach, who
are styled professional jurors" Men
who hang around the Courtroom from
the very moment Of rhe organization OF
the Arst Jury, until the last moment Of
the session, for the express purpose OF
serving their country in the discharge
Of these Weighty and responsi-
BILE duties; and so anxious are
they to render Whatever assist
Ance they can in iurtherAnce Of
lhe great ends Of public justice, and
Ibs promotion Of the public good, that
they NOT unfrequently, aS we have been
informed, approach our worthy Sheriff
and voluntarily offer TO assume these
Ourthens for the advancement OF the
interests Of the State. But we
think It may bs safely affirmed that no
man who is continually seen In the
Jury boz, or mAnifesting desire or de.
,ided willingness TO get there, is a fl
person 10 entrust with the life, liberty,
Or property rights Of the people. We
can very we'll remember the time when
our Courthouse was absolutely infest.
ed With this class Of public benefdc!Ors,
but we are gratiHed 10 know that de-
cided Improvement has been witnessed
In this regard, under the existing ad-
minlstration, though JeIO Of them are
still left to annoy with their presence,
both litigants and attorneys. Our very
excellent and most efficient Sheriff has
done much toward Kidding us Of these
nuiSGnces, and we sincere.
y trust that he will not weary in the
good work, until they are one and all
laid away and forgotten. There are
very large number Of our best citizens
both in town and country, who have
not been called upon TO perform jury
service since the close Of the war, and
who will gladly avoid it always If they
eau, but their very indispOsitlon to
serve only furnishes the most indubi-
table evidence Of their entire fitness for
The business. Undoubtedly much can
be done by appropriate legislation in
altering the present mode and manner
Of selecting Jurors, and we hope our
next Legislature will devote some time
and attention TO this important matter.
To serve on q jury is by no
means q pleasant task, and many
IF our best aud most substantial
business men, as soon as they are sum
noned for that purpose, set about at
lnce TO frame some excuse bV which
hey can escape from the payment of
his debt which every good ciIiz:n
owes to society, Now this is all wrong,
Tor If every man in our county who Is
liable to perform this service was put
upon the jury In regular order, no one
would be called on oflener than once
in every two or three years. And sure.
ly no good citizen could refuse to de-
vote one week Of his time in every two
years TO this all important matter. We
may on some future occasion advert TO
this subject again.





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