for the time being to belong to the
governing class.
"All day long," says the court officer, "they do nothing but grumble
and grumble at being kept away from their business but when they get
chosen on a case, they realize it does not do any good so they settle
down to do what is right." The country man may not have much to do and
may look on jury duty rather as a diversion or vacation from farm
work but the average town man feels the $2 a day he receives is only
lunch money compared to the amount he is losing in his business, and
so he hates it.
The first warning of trouble that a juryman gets is when he comes home
and finds that a policeman has been looking for him. It is to be hoped
that he has a guiltless conscience. He inquires further and learns it
was only a court officer summoning him to court for the trial term
next month. His first concern is to see what can be done in a
political way. If he belongs to the local club of the district--but
here let the curtain be drawn. Besides he may accomplish very little,
so many of the judges do not seem to remember their political
obligations. Then he tries to reach the judge through a friend and
when that fails he makes his way resignedly to court on the appointed
day.
When he comes there for the first time he smiles at the court
attendant and tries to make friends, but the court officer who has
been there many times before is not at all susceptible. Perhaps he
hurries around to the judge's chambers and manages to see the judge's
secretary, who is sympathetic over the fact that the month is December
and the busy season of the year in the florist business and that there
is only one assistant in the shop, but the judge is busy and will only
see him from the bench. Finally he goes into court and waits for his
name to be called.
After the roll call, he goes timidly up to the rail and stands there
waiting until his Honor will take notice of him. His Honor is busy
blowing his nose or signing papers. Finally the court officer points
him out. The judge scowls and asks him what he wants. Tremblingly he
explains his difficulty: that his business needs him or that his wife
is sick and that he will serve any other month if he can be let off
now. The judge reads him a lecture on the duty of citizenship and the
responsibility of jury duty and says he is sorry that he can not
excuse him.
Afterwards when the judge finds that there are enough jurymen in court
for the needs of
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