Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1881-05-04
THEJUDICIARY BILL.
A Gross Insult offered TO But
Ter County.


under the law providing for a re-dls-
tricting after each census taken. The
law allows a county that the census
has shown to possess forty thousand OF
a population to be separate judicial
district. Our county having attained
that number of population, as shown
by the late census, it was generally eA-
pected, and generally desired, that we
should be declared separate district.
Lawrence county, with which we are
at present joined, also desires to be
separate district. To this our people
and our members of the Legislature
made no objection, and make none now'
although it is well known that Law
renee county does not have the neces-
sary forty thousand of population.
That is a matter that concerns the law
officers of the State more than any
others. The bill as now passing In
the Senate separates the two counties,
ma king Butler and Lawrence each q
separate judicial district. But in num-
bering those districts gross and a
needless insult is offered to this county
The bill takes from this county the old
original number that she has had for
more than fifty gears, and places that
number to Lawrence county. Since
the time that "the memory of man
runneth not to the contrary" Butler
county has been in and known as part
of the "l7h Judicial District" This
was the 18th district when it was COM
posed of Butler, Beaver and Mercer
counties. When Mercer was separat-
ed from us she received new number,
35th district, we believe. When
Beaver was separated from us, she re-
ceived a new number, 36th district.
Butler through all these changes re-
tanned the old number, the 18th dis
trict. The present district of Butler
and Lawrence retain the same num-
ber. Lawrence, it might be stated,
was formed out of Beaver and Mercer
counties. But this bill now proposes
to rob us of this old name and number
and give us new number, that of the
5lst district. The bill says Lawrence
county shall retain the old number, IL
and Butler have new one, the 5lst,
And why? Why should the older, the
larger and greater county, be thus treat
ed? John NJ. Greer, our Senator, may
think he is not understood in this mat
ter But his objecr is too apparent
The object is revealed in the 18th Sec
ton of this Senate bill, that he appears
to have special charge of and calls up
in the Senate quite frequently. This
18th section of the bill provides in SUBJ
stance as follows:
Sec H. Where two judges are now
residing in the same district. and that
district is by this act divided, the presi-
dent judge of the same is hereby as
signed to the county bearing the num-
ber Of the district in which he was
elected; and the additional law Judge
shall be assigned to and be tie Presi-
dent judge in the other county. And
if both are residents of the same county,
the Judge not living in the county to
which he is hereby assigned, shall,
within three months, take up his per-
manent residence in the county to
which he is so assigned, or else va
cancy is hereby declared to exist in the
same"
Judge McJunkin is the President
Judge of this present district, Butler
and Lawrence counties, and Judge
Bredin is the Additional Law Judge
OF the same. They are both residing
in this county. If the district is divid-
ed according to the provisions of this
18th section, Judge McJunkin, the
President Judge, would be assigned"
to Lawrence county, as that county
will be clearing the number of the old
district, l7th." and Judge Bredin, the
present Additional Law Judge, will be
assigned to and be President Judge in
this county, the new 5lst. The object
is manifest. 1t is to assign" or rather
an attempt to erile Judge McJunkin
to Lawrence county, in the hope that
Mr.. Greer and perhaps some others
have, that by that means they may
put him out of the way of some aspir-
ants for his place on the Bench here
when it become vacant They would
not only compel him to go to Lawrence
county, but to "take up his permanent
residence there, or else a vacancy is
hereby declared to exist" in said Law
renee county courts, This whole thing
is such an inappropriate, II not such an
inde' ent thing, that all honorable men
of all parties denounce it as soon as
heard of; and we predict. that if it is
carried out, it will rebound and react
on the inventors in such a way and at
such time as they least desire.
H4ot,l,trv 20
Judge McJunkin is well known. He
is taking advantage of his little brief
authority and playing such fantastic
tricks as only serve to show to the peo-
pie of this county his real character
We do not believe such bill will pass
the Legislature and be approved, nor
do we believe that the Legislature has
IL IL. Ill