Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1880-05-08
constitutional Amendmc,,

Inc loiiVWiuS aitiCiO Wtltten Tor tho
Wheeling Register, gives sound yiex.
in favor of the adoption Of the consti,O
tional amendment, at our next elec,io,
1t shows that in one instance, by abo,
ishing she County Court system, thvu,.
auds Of dollars can be saved to the neo.
pie Of the State. We invite our resders
to ponder it carefully
L. 1t will decrease our taxes and ssvo
thousands of dollars to the people.
Taxation is beginning 70 be burds,
grevious to be borne in this country
Our government cost us too much. ana
is fast losing its original purity and sim
pNeity. The office-holding class has Al
ready increased beyond reasonabl,
bounds, aud the levy on the people for
funds to sustain them IN their tiutons
and luxurious mode of living, when p,,
into figures, is simply enormous. 1.-THE
increase IN this respect is as rapid in the
future as it has been in the past tho
masses will soon be ripe for Amos, .py
ether form of government, in hope that
il will bring them relief from heavy
tribute imposed upon them by their
humble servants. Hence any proposed
plan that will aid in diminishing tbe
public expenditure, will meet with the
hearty appreciation OF the people The
proposed constitutional amendment in.
creases the number of judges including
the court of appeals ilom thirteen to
eighteen, and will cause IN increase IN
their combined salaries of $1,000. This
Is the only increase made necessary By
the amendment, and 10 offset this the
amendment aboliShes four terms of tho
county court for trial OF causes. These
four terms throughout the State will ay
erage ten days to the term or forty DAYS
per annum to each county, and there be-
ing fifty -four counties, there will he say
ed TO the State 2,l60 days of this court
at a public expense for the Justices alone,
of $40 per day, making 4 total OF SCI
600 And Tor petit jurors, allowing
twenty to be in attendance each day,
at 81. so per day. (the law allowslhiry(
the expense is SOS, 800, 10 which add
$50 per county per annum for jurorSmi
leage, or total of S2,700, and it swClls
this amount TO 500, 800. There is also
being only three terms OF the circuit
court per amman, one grand jury 10 each
county will be dispensed with, the ex.
prnses of which cannot 6e less thar. $50
per county, Or S2,700 to The State.
To rccapitulatc, the direct saving 10
the various county levies of the State
by reason Of the abolition Of Tho tour
terms of the county court will be as fol
lows, ,o-wIt:
Justices per diem. ...........s21 Coz
Petit Jurors. .............S6 6,500
Grand Jurors. ............... t2,100
Total Gain. ..............e9 $4,000
Deduct Increase Of Judges. -. 5000
Net profit of And. per aDnum, $4,000
But as great As this amount appear,
much greater will he the indirect saving
TO the people OF time, money and harasS-
ing ycxa,ion. There will be only three
terms OF the Circuit Court under tho
~ against six terms OF the
County and Circuit Courts rs the law
now is,aud by the increase Of the justices
jurisdiction, this change viii save thirty
days OF Court, on an average 10 each
county, or q total to all the counties Of
2l6O days. Multiply lais number by
fifty, the average number Of persons re
quirud to be III daily attendance in thc8c
Courts, aud it makes one hundred aud
eight thousand days OF labor los. 10 tho
people Of the State, equivalent TO at
least so many dollars. No one can 60
innate the amount OF money expended
by clients and witnesses in attendance
at the sessions, and in taking appeals
from the erroneous rulings Of the Coun-
" Court Nor can the great loss from
vexation, occasioned by the delays, blum
ders and injns,ices of this primeval tn
6unal he reduced to figures. AS mat
ter of course We admit that what IS
gained by the people will be q loss to
lawyers and other public servants but
if these men cannot make n living With
ont urjustly preying on the substance
Of the laboriug classes, let them turn
their attention TO tilliug the soil, and
thus increase and distribute the wealth
Of the country instead Of aiming TO cen
tralize it in the hands Of The few. There
are millions in the overthrow Of tho
County Court and the adoption of the
amendment. Let it be well done when
il is done.