The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-12-02
Jos. DARTER.
WORK FOR THE LEGISLATURE.
4 Feeling Tribute to County Courts.
MorSnSvrrrr Nov 20 1874

Editors of the Register.
The session of the West Virginia Leg
islaturc is now approaching, and 1t Is
most likely the last for two years. Nu-
merous questions of reform are now prop
crly agitated, and it is desirable to n
large number of people that the ques-
ton of our present County Court system
should he thought Of The County
Courts were not, at the adoption of the
New Constitution, by any means popu-
lar in this part of the State, and since
their organization have proved to be a
rcproach to their founders. Instead of
having forum in which the causes of
the people are speedily and justly deter
mined, we have in most cases poor
scrvilc cringing alliance with ignorance
and corruption, and our causes, instead
of being honestly disposed OF are decided
with reference to the cash of some inter
ested master whom the court fears. The
corruption of the old Boards of Supervi-
sors ia the management of county tinan-
ccs, was, in many cases, most SrlevouS,
bur in this tribunal the
same power may be exercised for cor
rupt purposes in our finances, and we
find added to it also the power to punish
those who may detect it, by direct and
indirect means excrted through its judi
cial power.
Besides this, the farce of trial in such
"A court. For instance the County Court
of this county adjourned on Saturday
last. we have the record of Il case in
u>,umpSit, and plea of no aSsumpslt
and fraud; issues, trial, and the jury
find verdict: ave, the jury, find for
the plaintiff SD, aud that he work 1t
out on the road Motion to set aside
the verdict; motion to arrest judgment;
both ovcrrulcd and judgment entered in
accordance with the verdict As the
Clerk APPLY expressed it: Judgment
to work 1t out on the chain gang But
the plaintiff must evidently do the wo:k.
Let this pass fol Ignorance and stupidity,
and we will take another where the
Court assumes to know something. On
the calling of the case, the dctendcnt al
lodges that it has been III Court many
times on such complaints, that
the evidence is very much the same in
such cases, and that dctcndcnt has nearly
uniformly lost, and moves for special
Jury; one is granted, the sheriff is direct
ed To bring the men from II remote part
of the county, who have never tried II
case for defendant, and the sheriff, to
his honor be it said brought twenty as
good men u any county can boast
twelve of them are selected according to
law. try the case, find small verdict of
500 for plaintiff; and we will venture
this for the jury, that the three men on
it who know the least, are better inform
ed than the court who presided; and
more. they were honest, fearless, upright
men, and vet that court of three persons
sets aside the verdict of the twelve. and
outsiders say the court was divided, and
that the so called president pumped the
scale down on the side of iniquity and
more expense to the county. n long
catalogue of such cases might be given,
but these are for examples. Now
it is needless to say perhaps, but
it may rs well ne said, the people have no
faith in such tribunal, and it would not
be safe to set down 10 ignorance and
stupidity everything of this character
found in the proceedings Of such court.
The remedy-It is not enough that the
people may, in an exceedingly rounda-
bout way, propose II system of county
government to the legislature, to be
granted or refused al iiJittmt; but We
think the Legislature should enact an
alternative system ofcounty government,
to 90 into operation when adopted by
the people, and that it should be submit
ted for their adoption or rejection at the
next election held after one hundred
voters shall 81 petition. 1t should pro-
vide that the system might be adopted
bv one or by two or more counties as To
that part relating to the Judiciary.
Hoping attention may be given the
subject and speedy relief be found, for
the present in patience &c, &c,
WILL WAIT.