The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1878-12-21
THE JUDGEsHIP QUESTION.

pointment OF Distrlct Judge for Lincoln
county. now being attempted by a couple
of hungry ex-officials of this county and
several wouldbe great leaders of the peo-
Pile of this locality. was written by an
old settler Of Lincoln county, who owns
ranch in one of the valleys. and it
shows very plainly the uselessness of and
gives excellent reasons why the old Ju-
dicial District should not be again es.
tablished, for the present at least. The
letter is an able one and expresses the
opinion upon this question entertained
by tieths of the residents of
the county. All our readers will do we'll
to read the letter carefully and the atten-
ton of the members of the Legislature
from Lincoln county is respectfully
called to the same. We agree with the
correspondent, "That the less Court we
have the better it will be for Lincoln
county" Read the following carefully:
PIoCHF, December 16. 1878.
Mr.. EDITOR: The very respectable
amount of discussion, and more respon-
sible scheming, now being done in and
about Phoebe as to the future judicial
facilities of our county leads me, as q
taxpayer and an old citizen of the
county, to beg little space in your val
liable paper for the expression of the
views entertain on that subject,
In the first place, two years ago our
worthy delegation in the Legislature
secured the passage of the present law
making our county a part OF the Sixth
Judicial District. and our portion of the
salary eighteen hundred dollars per
annum, thus making clean saving to
the county OF three thousand two hun
bred dollars year, in the one item OF
Judges salary. At that time every tax.
payer in our bankrupt county approved
most heartily Of the arrangement aud I
believe, further, that not a man in our
midst but felt gratified-save few
hungry attorneys and aspirants for ju-
dicial honors--at the release we thereby
secured from the heavy burden OF year.
ly payment OF five thousand dollars as
Judges salary" and all looked forward
more cheerfully and brenthed more easily
that this healthy step toward our ulti.
mate freedom from debt had been taken.
Any citizen who takes the pains to run
over our expenditures for the last eight
years will see that. excepting the bill for
our Courthouse, three.fourths OF our
present debt was incurred on account of
Court expenses. Why, sir, have seen
nearly three hundred jurors in daily at.
tendance upon our District Court. and
each Juror, unless selected in civil trial,
costs the county three dollars per
day, thus making about 5000 per day
for jurors, besides the county had Clerks
fees, Sheriff's fees, etc.. in proportion to
pay. True,it may be said we have but
little criminal business in our courts
now, and that therefore our Court ex-
penses will not be so heavy as they were
formerly; but I would suggest that with
a falling of in criminal business, there
tas been a more than corresponding fall
ing off in every other business in our
county; our mines produce much less,
our merchants make much less, while we
teamsters and ranchers make nothing,
aud. altogether, we are not as able to pay
our ordinary running expenses now,
light as our worthy Commissioners have
made them, AS we were the lavish ex-
penditures Of Eve and six years since.
IA burnt child fears the fire., and there
fore, say, GOOD Lord, deliver us from
all the Courts you. can"
The greatest good to the greatest num-
Der is the true principle OF our system OF
government, and while the absence of
Judge from our midst may, on occasions,
in a few-very few-individual instances
work hardship, still is that any reason
why we should seek to change the exist
ing law. There is not a law on our
statute books, but what either does work
hardship to some, is liable to do 30 in
its operation at any time. Law, be-
lieve, was originally instituted for the
benefit of the majority, and it has never
been claimed that every law was so COM
prehensive as to provide against its work
ing possible injuries. and why should
our present judicial statute be an exoep-
ton?
Besidee, under the law OF 1875, as
then, I believe, amended, Judge can
adjourn the Court in one county and
open term in another whenever the
public require it, and thus, on tele-
graphic notice to the Judge, we can have
Court here at any time within thirty
six hours, or less.
1.-two years ago we thought the pres
emit law good one, I would enquire how
ia it possible we now think We have
more need of this judicial luxury than
we then thought? Have we more legal
business? Have we more money to
spend in this expensive enjoyment? Are
not We rather led away from calm view
by the sophistry of the interested and
our natural disposition to indulge in
those expensive Injuries to which we
have been accustomedP When poverty
overtakes man the hardest lesson foz
him to learn is that he can easily do
without many things which he may have
formerly considered necessary.
In White Pine. where they are allotted
the same number Of terms which We will
have, they do not apprehend any inoon.
venience, and they have tried an almost