The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1856-02-07

Il 4 =
osraf Of yesterday, in which we are charged
OF fdemagOgueism, and also, Of being opposed
to retrenchment, because wespegested er'
rors in o. P. BRowN's Judiciary Bill. We
will take this occasion 90 say again, that we
are opposed to the principle Of the bill
We are opposed to, it, because 1t shuts
the doors Of our court houses, against the
poor msn--because it gives rich men the ad'
vantage over poor men-because rich man
can commence a suit for the maintenance
of his rights, and poorman oannot--be'
cause il demands the payment Of sum oI
money before Justice can be administered,
when the whole object of the government
is or should be, to do justice to its citizens
without money and without price, to rieh
aud poor, high and low.
The Democrat says:
"IE our opinion the worst use poor
man can put himself to, is to 60 to law. (ln
nine cases out OF ten, the poor man lohat-
eper mGs be the merits of has case, and what-
ever the result, is the worse for going tO
law.'1
We admit that poor men very often fail to
get Justice done them in court of justiee.-
Fraud, perjury, bribery, wealth and infiu-
ence, have much TO do in wrestling from
them, their rights. But may they not even
have chance to try! Because wrongs are
done them, would you do them still greater
wrong by shutting them out entirely. Are
mems wrghtr to be bought and sold in the
market, to the highest bidder! Is the Privi-
lege of protection in the enjoyment OF lib
erty and the requirement of property to be
purchased of the Government? We are
surprised that even the editor of the Demo-
crGt should advocate so Infamous SEN
timent.
But let US see how the principle advocated
by the Democrat would work when carried
out. In the FIRST place, there would be no
courts established, until there were suits e.
nough commenced to pay the judges, and in
the mean time anarchy and confusion would
reign without check. After their establish.
ment, none but the rich could commence
suits. II free negro in Ohio were arrested
as a fugitive, he could not ask writ oi
habeas corpus, without first paying five dol
lars. Ifunable to raise the money, he must
go into inexorable bondage; ifa poor man is
falsely imprisoned, he must pay $40 before
he can ask the courts to release him ,and il
unable to raise the money must remain in
prisoD;f an orphan is robbed by his guardian
of his patrimony, and left destitute, he mus
pay SIS or $40 before he can make the at
tempt to recover his property; if one citizer
is defrauded by another, he must pay five
dollars for the privilege Of seeking justice =
So we might enumerate many instance.
where under Mr.. BRowN's bill great wrong
would be done,but the foregoing are suficep
to illustrate our idea.
But Mr.. BRowN claims il as retrenchnaen
bill. If retrenchment was his object, why
did he not provide that the five dollar fe,
should be paid at the termination instead o
at the commencement Of the suit! Thi
would support the Judiciary just as we'll ant
without any oppression TO the innocent par
ty, because the Docket fee would then b,
paid by the person against whom judgmen
was rendered.
We are as much opposed to useless liti
cation as the Democrat. But there are
times when it becomes necessary for per.
sons to appeal to our courts, and if they are
in the right they ought never, to be com
PEELED to pay for the privilege. We holt
that courts of justice are public institutions
established for the benefit of the public. al
much as for private individuals. Every
man, woman and child in Ohio, is interested
in their maintenance. Without them, the
lives, liberty, and property of all our citizens
would be endangered. No person would be
safe. The wealth OF the State is under
their protection. By them, public ordel
and domestic tranquility are secured. Thi
being the case, it is right that the propert,
of the State should be taxed for their sup
port. ....t
Taking this view, we cannot but regar
Mr.. BEowNs bill, as erroneous in principl
and prejudicial to the substantial interest
of the neonle