On the record
And thus this, the greatest of all the political rights of an Englishman, has become a mere article of merchandise; a thing that is bought and sold in the market for what it will bring.
Said by
Lysander Spooner
Source
gutenberg.orgLysander Spooner: “And thus this, the greatest of all the political rights of an Englishman, has become a mere article of merchandise; a…”
Editor's note · Context
Spooner laments the commodification of the political right to serve on juries.
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More from Lysander Spooner
Any restriction upon the exercise of this right is a restriction upon his rightful power of providing for, and accomplishing, his own well-being.
From the sale of that justice which every citizen has a right to demand, it was an easy transition to withhold or deny it.
And nobody is bound to take the least notice of them, unless it be to trample them under foot, as usurpations.
They were even allowed to grant pardon to criminals, and to correct by their clemency the rigors of justice.