The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1873-09-03
OUR COLUMBIA LETTER.
An Evil That Should be Rsmedied
cision of the Merton Case The
:; Rules Of the Supreme Gourt-A Bank
Case A New Water Power Develop
mant Important License Decision.

y
naore than customary stir and excite
ment; what with. the decisions Of tn
Supreme Court, the agitation Of tn
Water Power question and meeting
pertaining to the same, the improve
ment in business circles, and occasion
ally q lively exchange of sentimen
between prominent personages, &C
lumbia has been anything but a duI
place. The actors in all this hav
met with benefits or losses as thei
-vigor or discretion governed. Ever
THE TRIAL JUSTICE PLAGUE 80.
has spread, and those petty officer
have a few moro dimes in their pocl
cts for the change in affairs. There
is much complaint from many sources
of the present Trial Justice system
: and the mode of transacting business
-practiced by those officers the fault
appears to be the greatest in cities
and in the larger towns. Much might
be written regarding the numerous
clan, bpt as~eVery county has, very
nearly at least a full quota, and as
few opportunities are by them allowed
to go'by when they do not exercise
their "brief authority" it is presumed
the residents of about every town,
ship in the State are familiar with
theeagerness they manifest in hunting
up cases, and the slip-shod manner in
which they dispose Of them, law, facts
and all. There are, to be sure, some
honorable exceptions, where these
petty officers, who hold their positions
by an exceeding uncertain construc-
tion of law appear to be honest con-
servators of peace, actuated by no
mercenary motive in the discharge of
their duties it is, however, humlia-
ting to acknowledge that such in
stances have.a strong probability of
being only exceptions.
The Office of Trial Justice appears
to be as much sought after:ia ias ever
it is a. convenient hospital Into which
discarded or discontented politicians
of light weight can BE- hived until
their disappointed hopes shall have
become blun;ed. The chief complaint
is the Importance this numerous class
place upon the most trivial disputes
wherein there may be an opportunity
to pocket. y fine or accumulate costs
Some of their officers in style and ar
rangement border on the elegant, and
from costs and fines ofttimes sump-
tuors living is made. Large bills are
entailed that the counties are obliged
to liquidate for who, outside the
city of Charleston, ever heard Of q
Trial Justice rendering any account
Of his receipts? These officers should
be elected as provided for, and the
number reduced the men to ill the
Offices should be selected for probity
and sound judgment. and then there
wonld be u noticeable reduction of
taxes. The evil as it atpresent exists
is q glalng one, demanding speedy
correction. ea s......
.--'r5s ~ MORTON, BLISS co.
Contrary to the expectations and
belief of, probably majority of all
classes, anil after all that has been
said and done, the Supreme Court, on
Wednesday, the 27th. filed its decision
in the~aotable Morton, Bliss e. Go.
madamus% case-.One hundred and
fifteen pages Of closely written foolscap
testa the endurance of all parties in
tsrested, and tho tax payers al are
to find out the real grounds taken by
the Court in rendering this decision.
The suits were brought upon Eve
p. bonasof $1,000, representing the FIVE
,difrrekt classes issued, the amount of
which j about S. 100000. Inc thin
ness Of t.e argument, ifit be subter
fuge. thatthis decision only y relatcs'to
thelfge7 DO, 8 named in the pleadings,
is too appaent to need further COM
ment. 1t is not at all likely that the
2Cofnptroisr G enerai will understand
~ths order -gr;nting the writ to indi-
cate, to, him, that, he. has only TO
levy for The interest on FIVE bonds.
Tho people thu.efore mpy prepare for
heavy, taxes, .laless the. Legislature
Ga6D 81 harnperl lhesef proceedings that
the danger nay be averted. 1t is
also singul,t' construction by the
Court that tn, Constitution Of the
State. requires the treasurer to, pay
Enntshe!apney without any Legislative
Appropriation Of the same, or. as has
been aid, the Constitution makes the
appreciation! An unhcard-of thing.
Elheresre many rumorsl uAoatregard-
ing 'hIdecision, but they are danger
ous tosSpeat,7 2 One of f,the' circum-
stances rat puzzles most people is
that ttnerourt granted the manda.
mus with,t being first satisfied OF
| > the Tanlouh Of the valid debt, and
what consulted it.; it was believed
steps would taken to do this immc.
diately aftehhe converting of the
f. extra session, n, the Legislature, now
set for the 2lsof October next. The
.,. matter also psents another view
T. Tho five acts, der which the five
bonds before e:upreme Court wer,
issued, all coptailhc same clause re
garding the payn,t of interest, ane
3 the act known as validating A ct
Z which makes good or attempts to-
about SIS, 100000, also the, sam,
interest clause; thelore the manda
mus compelling the tnptrolIer Gen
eral to MAXI the levN1 the Morton
Bliss bonds, $ equall .annrcohIe +,
the whole $15, ,CGO, 600. c,pp the T,.r