Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-07-28
Judoa J. c. M Mirrav.

The following circular of Judge Murray'S was received by us on last Saturday for the first time, although it published on the first of the month We are informed that the frieu uds of Judge Murray are complaining of this pa per for not publishing the circular before. We could not do so, for we never hal it before.
 We have none but the kindest feelings for Judge Murray, personally and politi- cally, hence it was would be unnatural in us not to accord him the most ample justice. Between Judge SJrrells and Jud se Murray we could take no part:
 To tue Koters of the Second Judicial Circuit:
 FELLow-CITIzENs:-I am candidate for your sutfrages for the office of Circuit Judge.
 ln thus announcing myself for this hig and responsible trust, duty requires that l should state to you some of the reasons that have inn pelled me to assume this attitude before you.
 It will be remem bered that at the expiration of my term of service of Judge of this district, in the fall of 1854, sickness caused me to de- cline a candidacy for the succeeding term and that Judge Sorrells was elected my successor. In that canvass, knowing but little of Judge Sorrells' opponent, l supported the former be- lleNlug Was Tl5uL Ill OpinS SO.
 Judge Sorrells was, however, hardly installed into the office to whcich he had been elected, before he announced that the day of Kanga- roo courts had pasSed," and that a new era had dawned upon the second judicial circuit" This was ot but little consequence to me, nor would such undign6ed remarks have ever elicited from me passing notice, had not subsequent ly discovered, as 1t seemed to me, settled pur- an f ba ot I T ,1; all social and friendly relations between the bench and the bar, between the bench and the other officers of the court, and between the bench and all others who came in direct con- tact with the court. From thls moment ad- init that l began to regret the support had given Judge SorrellS, and 10 meditate how best could be the humble instrument in restor- ing the concnid that should ever exist between the bench and the bar, the officers of court and the citizens whose interest is directly af- fected by the action of the court and it's officers It Is after these reflections, and at the instance of large majority of those thus directly in- terested, that l announce myself candidate for your sutfrages. At the same time that l announce myself, l beg leave to state that I do NOT come forward as the champion of the bar and the court officers, for l assure you that the unruly shall be as strictly delt with as the most orderly could require; at the same tme will never attempt to dictate course for the orderly and quiet persons attending court. For the truth of this pledge, will only refer to the term of my service immediately preceding that of Judge Sorrells, and challenge a com pariSon between the two
 There Is one other subject to which desire to call the attention of the vo.ers of this dis trlct. It is said that Judge Sorrells should be supported because he hurres and gets through business with great diSpitch, and is thus an economical Judge. Let us see how this is:
 hen tlrst came to the bench 1 found on page o2O ot the Digest of the Statutes of this State, in sections l47 and l4S, a plain and posi- tive law directing the circuit court clerks of this State 10 make out docket of all the Causes to each term, and to set each cause for tral on particular day, and to divide the doc ket into as many days as the term was likelvs to last and only to summon the witnesses to appear on the day at which the cause was SC, for hearing. l drecteI all the clerks to ob. serve this law strictly, and the dockets were so arranged during all my term of service; and for the truth of this assertion, appeal to every attorney and clerk in the circuit When Ju!ge Sorrells came upon the bench, he directed this positive law to be disobeved; threatened to fine and imprlson every clerk who would d,re so to arrange the docket again, and ordered every witness and suitor to be somm oned on the first day Of court. This he has done in violation o positive law, against the earnest remonstrance ol the bar and oi every clerk, aud to the ruin of the suitors and couaty treasures of the diff lerent counties, as will proceed to show:
 There Is no docket in this circuit that can be disposed of in less than three days, and two that cannot be disposed of in less than two weeks, to do justice to the country. Judge Sorrells requires every man who has business in court to appear on the first day of the court, and, although the term may last week or two weeks. to watch to the last hour of court for the time when his cause will be called; and if, after wearlsome days, he Is not ready at the moment his cause is called is continued, with SIX or seven days cost on his back, only to come oack at the next term to go through the same process. Now only look at this The statute requires that each cause be set for certain day, and each suitor be there with his witnesses on that day. and that his cause be tried that day, and that he be dismissed with his witnesses for that term. According to this salutary rule no suitor or witness would have to attend court more than one day in term, unless in an extra ordinary case. But according to the present rule, without the sembance of law for it, a suit or, with his train of witnesses, is compelled to attend from one to twelve days, neglectng their work, and the sutor or county (if in criminal case,) to pay witness attendance from one to twelve days, at from one to two dollars per day, instead Of for only one day. as the statute directs. And all this Is done in order that the Judge may get the little evanescent applause of running through the docket little quicker than any other Judge. Let us see the consequence of all this.
 In the last court of Jefferson there were 151 criminal and civil cases, and more than as many sultors and witnesses, in attendance upon the court, who were all summoned to attend on the first day of the court The court lasted two weeks, and about one-half of the cases were called the second week. There were still fifty two cases continued over and not tried at alI- Just look at all those suitors and witnesses that were kept till the second week, or whose cases were not tried at all and see the immense loss of time and expense attendant upon this court alone. have examined this docket carefully, and say that eight hundred dollars extra cost is a low estimate for one term of this court, with out counting the loss of time. But as this is a heavy court we will take four hundred dollars as the surplus cost of the ether courts per term Four huedred dollars per term for ten counties will be four thousand dollars per term of the