Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1875-03-23
A SUBSCRIBER.

The greatest burden Of our State &C.
vernmen; to-day is our judiciary sys-
tenn. Thousands Of dollars are paid
annually by the honest taxpayers of
the State, who pay their debts without
being forced TO, in order 10 aid the
tricksters and sharPers 10 staye of
theirs.
know thst orr National and State
constitutions guarantee to every man
that where life, liberty aud property
are in jeopardy, he shall lave a right
OF trial by q jury of his peers. know
further, since the year ilC0. when the
stern old BaronS wrung from King
John at Runy mede the great charter
that trial by jury has been guaranteed
and has stood side by eide with the
writ Of habeas corpus az one Of the
great bulwarks of English and Ameri-
can freedom. Though love and rev.
ereuce the jury system a. monument
of antiquity, dealing justice to all men,
yet do think that it can lie improved
in this enlightened age TO subseI We the
interests Of the whole people and re-
lieve us ofgreat financial bun dems.
Law suits are certainly one of the
great evils OF eur country. While
they should be stS led evils, the crime
may be mitigaled 10y being termed
necessary evils, " and only with this
modification of the term should the
laws OF our country tolerate law suits.
but the laws should never encourage
them.
The question arises, how are VIC to
discourage litigation in our country
sud save thousands of dollars TO the
whole people? | answer by making
men who wish to go 70 law pay their
own lawsuits and not make the
honest, pesceable, laboring classes OF
! our country pay for them. Gibson
! county pays 70 day ntai SIS 900 a year
! for iurics, besides there are near 900
DAYS lost from the productive indus
tries Of cur country, which is worth as
many dollars-heuce the actual cost OF
/ iuries in Gibson county is about 3d.
J 600 annually. or il the State near $780,
! 90 Therefore, as reduction of this
enormous expense brought upon the
, people yearly, the trial 10y jury in all
civil cases should be dispensed with,
unless expressly demanded by either
party, and in such cases let The party
/ or parties so demanding pay for their
own juries themselves. | not not wish
/ to be so understood, and neither would
| favor a law that would provide no
relief for person too poor to pay for
I this Jury, when it was thought be
could not get justice without : in such
/ cases the State should come TO their
relief and pay for the jury. No man
| can complain for having In pay 10 try
! a case in which he is directly interest
ed. when IL would cost the county S24.
/ 10 be paid by men, widows aud or
| phans. who are not interested. II
| parties wish TO go To law over their
own differences, ] ask, in the name of
! Justice, is it right to make other peo-
pie pay the expenses
Now, sir, know OF suit where two
men fell out about one hundred and
fifty rails, aud the actual cost OF juries
! TO settle the matter was S96. Another
case, about a quarter OF blue beef,
worth two or three dollars, has cost
the good natured people of our county
$40, and is not settled yet. Each
county in the State would make money
10 have commissioner and search the
dockets and pay off every claim that
il in litigation under S24. aud a great
many over that amount. Therefore,
] insist that a law to dispense with
;uries ia all civil cases, and such cases
tried by competent and honest judge,
would give litigants the same justice
they now receive before a magistrates
court. or even in the Chancery Court,
AID will pay $4,000 of our taxes