The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1871-08-30
Movement Against Lawyers

, M OV0ll1Slll ASn lA4SL La " SA %
The Greenville Enterprise con-
tains the following call for a pub
lie meeting TO take into consider
alton the heavy costs under the
code of procedure, and the propri-
ETY. of establishing some system
outside of the courts for the ad-
iustments Of claims and disputes.
The call is signed by sixty citi-
zcns Of that county. In their lg-
norance; they charge all the fault
upon the lawyers, while, if they
had examined the code which they
denounce, they would have seen
that no costs under it are taxed
up for attorneys in civil cases.
Section 329 Of the code enacts
that "all statutes establishing or
regulating the costs or fees OF at
tornevs, solicitors and counsel IN
civil actions are repealed, and
hereafter the measure Of such
compensation shall be left to the
agreement, express or implied, OF
the parties :"
GREENv1LLE COUNTY, July Is, II.
Whereas we, the undersigned:
citizens of Grecnvillc County, ap-
prcciating the oppressed and i'm
poverishcd condition OF our State,
arising from er parte and unjust
legislation, not the least Of which
is the class legislation, establish
ing what is called the "new code
of procedure at law" and the out
rascous, extortionate and intolera-
bic fees of costs allowed lawyers
and court officers under and by
this act, the whole thing being en-
grated upon our statute books by
a man-the offspring Of recon-
struction iniquity and one Of the
greatest monstrosities Of "carpet-
baggers, yet spawned upon our
State. That while we arc fully
cognizant of the fact that there
has been . great deal Of dishon-
csty and extravagaut waste of the
public treasury on the part OF
many Of our officials, and that the
taxes are burdcnsome aud hard to
be borne, yet we arc candidiy Of
the opinion that much Of the dis
content and decentralization of So
cietv arises as much from the
practical bearings Of this odlous
code as anything else, and we
would further submit that we do
not regard it either patriotic or
right, in any sense Of the word,
for attorneys to demand or accept
these cxhorbitant bills Of cost, and
cannot conceive how their con-
sciences can be soothcd and at
ease when it is so palpablc and
apparent to any and every one
that their fees are so far dispro.
portionate to services rendered.
The courts have, upon broad
and high grounds Of equity, JUS
ticc and eXpediency, and in view
Of the fact Of the greater bulk of
the property Of the Southern peo-
pic being swept away, held, very
wisely and patrotically, that old
debts should not be paid in full;
hut whatrclicf islt to the masses to
be relieved Of portions Of their in
debtcdness, when the costs Of OBJ
tanning this relief is often twice,
or even more than three-foid. as
much as the amount Of this reduc-
ton, and into whose pockets this
goes, the record showeth. And
we further submit that it is the
interest and duty OF the people to
take care Of themselves, and keep
out Of the courts, and for the ad-
iustment of claims and disputes to
establish q board or boards Of ar
bitration, and to the end that a
full expression Of public opinio"
may be elected, we request pub
lie meeting Of the citizens Of the
county be held on this subject on
sale day in August, at the court
house, to develop and mature some
plan for the establishment Of this
board or boards.
[Erchange paper.