Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-09-01
WHEELING REGISTER.

For the last. year lhere has been de-
ciSIe3 IMPROVEMENT in the tone OF the
REersRER. Ii is more fair and Just IN ITS
CRITICISMS Of political opponents and
their motiyes End measures. Its treat
ment OF what we believe TO be a wicked
and false SANDER and libel against SEN
ator Conkling is noticeable as evidence
-Oi -this PrOpOsitioR.-We are glad ~ see
such fairness and justice exhibited to-
ward political opponents. Ii will tend
10 mould healthy political sentiment.
And whfte speaking Of the REGISTER
we call attention 10 remarkable state
ment made by it in an article in the
daily OF the 18th inst, on '"The People
and Their Tribunals and which We
mention here because il is not germane
to a consideration Of the Constitutional
Amendments. Ii is this:
1--WE have heretofore shown that the
costs OF litigation in the Circnit Courts
of the State, amount almost 10 a denial
of Justice. The actual taxation In case
involving the lowest sum over when
they have jurisdiction, amounts to
$3.50, independent OF attorneys ana
witness fees.
Thiscertainlv cannot betrue; nothing
but an itemized taxation OF costs would,
il seems to Us, persuade any
one who knows anything about taxation
of costs that this is true. That Il suit
for 5000 in the Circuit Court tried by
Jury Of twelve men, occupying three
or four DAYS in its trial, which would be
n strong case, would cost $3.50, less the
fees of witnesses and the attorhles,
which are Ommitted by the state
ment, sounds too much Ike
fable to be credited. This would
make the clerk and sherifi's fees, less a
iurv lee of $500 and perhaps a docket
lee mot over $1,000 by law amount to
this remarkable sum. n case continued
fn- several terms, and tried couple oil
timesm igh cost that, but such cases are
very rare. The taxation oil costs IN Iy-
Ter county do not turn out such results;
but perhaps there is pdtrHt mode IN
Ohio county. We would like to see an
itemlzed taxation OF the costs in the
case referred to; will the REGISTER fur
nish il?
While returning acknowledgements to
the Sar for the complimentary terms in
which it refers to the course of the REG
ISrER, we desire to say that while
We have endeayOred to he Just
and fair and even generous in
our criticisms Of public men and
measures we have not been less careful
to be strictly accurate in any statements
made upon our own responsibility; AMI
when the Star finds such statement
i'm the REGISTER as that upon which 1t
calls us To account in the above para
graph it will always find us ready TO
Substantiate il.
We did not make it as mere guess,
or upon loose and unreliable calcula-
tons, but we took it from the taxation
of costs made in l case by one OF the
most accurate and best informed clerks
in the State, who verified his figures at
our request and in our presence, and
although the Star is apparently so in
credulous as to be unable to accept
them as true, We think he will find up
on application to any clerk in the State
that these figures are entirely accurate,
for the law in one county as to taxation
Of costs is the law in ALL
We are, therefore, prepared to stand
by the statement OF the REGISTER, that
"the actual taxation of costs in a
case in the circuit courts, involving
the lowest sum over which they have
jurisdiction, amounts to S23.75, indepen-
dent oiattorneys' andwitness fees. " The
''itemized taxation which the Ndr calls