Americans distrust their State Legislatures so much that in most
States they only allow them to sit once in two years, and their confidence even in juries is limited. The idea seems to be that a juryman will either be prejudiced by previous reading about the case, or will be a friend or enemy of the accused, or will be bought by one side or the other. A nearly unlimited right of challenge is therefore given to counsel, and in the Cronin case it has been unmercifully exercised. Days are spent in choosing one juryman, who is thenceforward a marked man. The counsel for the State of Illinois rejects all Irishmen, and the counsel for the defence all Britons, all North Irishmen, all Germans, all Norwegians, and all Americans who cannot say " No" to the following questions :—" Do you believe that Dr. Cronin was driven away in a buggy hired from stable- man Dinan by Coughlin ? Do you believe Burke was one of the tenants of Carlson Cottage, and that Dr. Cronin was killed there? Do you believe Dr. Cronin was killed pursuant to the appointment of the Trial Committee in Camp 20 of the so-called Clan-na-Gael Society ? Do you believe a conspiracy had been formed, and that any of these defendants belonged to that conspiracy ?" The very idea that a juryman once sworn will decide on the evidence is extinct, and the logical conclusion is that juries should be abolished. The odd thing is that the majority of the very people who tolerate these things sincerely wish that their laws should be well ad- ministered, but are powerless. in spite of universal suffrage, to give their wishes effect.
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