Hawaii Holomua, Volume III, Number 166, 18 July 1894 — Political Juries. [ARTICLE]

Political Juries.

The Adv<rtiaer is emleavoring to defend the elauae in tbe eonstitution whieh rnakes it obliga tory for a jnror to take the oath to tbe republic. Reading be ' tween Ihe lines, it is easy to see, thongh, that the 3emi-ofllcial organ is not altogetber enthnsias tic over Mr Hatch's amendruent It hasn’t worked well so far and we fear it will prove a stumbling to a friendly settlement of our political lronbles. The Adrertiser does not believe in the jory 8ystera. Nor do we. But when the Advertiser says, that the countrv ean boast of concientious, irapartial and np right jodges. we beg to differ. Human nature cannot be ehanp ed. It would certainlv be impoaeihle for polilieal jmlpes like Messrs. A F Judd nnd Cooper to rel evo their minds of politica! svmpathies and nffiliations and siraply look at the law and facts in a case before them. In countries where there are no jnries, the courts are compo°ed of men who aro wholly an>l absolntely out of politics. Men who for the aake of the honor and dignity of their high officesknow nothing about polilieal strifeand fight, and who don't know or care to know anything about the opiniona of the party or parties. to be tried by them. If Hawiii eoukl Becure such men to serve as judges, perhaps tbe jury system couīd be abandoned with advantage. At present, we haven’t got tbem. And tbe objection whieh we have r«isetl against the juror clause in the constitntion is based ou the very same reasons. At the present date, a man who takes tbeoatb to tbe repnblic distinctly joins a political party, and we elaim tbat it is unfair and danger oos to demand tbat a citizen shall be tried by his politic«l enemiea and virtunlly persecuted, because be faappens to differ in his politioel opiniona. Under the monarcby, no oath was ever required. 0ood citizens, were foond to act us jurors, but their polilieal opinions or views were never questioned. We don’t presome that Mr. Hatcb or the Advert!ser will eliim tbat tho juries onder the monarchy were | oorrnpt, aod yet, we find the I names of many jorors who were distinctly disloy.tl to tbe govern | ment and who wonld neither take the oaih of allepianee or «ny i otber oatbs for tbat m«tter. Why did Mr. Hatch and his friends never raise any objection in tbose days? Why does it suddenly, heeome necessaiy to bring politics into Ihe jodiciary braocb of the government and virtuHlIy ; make tbe jnriee subservi«nt totbe ' present administration? It is a step in ihe wrong direction, and ! aa far as ihe (oreigners «re eon-1 cerned will fornish excelient opportonitiee for consular interferenoe and international eompiioaiiona.