News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-02-14
LAWSUITS FOR EVERYBODY.
The Manner in which u Western Editor
settled one Most AmicabIy.

"Lawing it'' is one of the most ridicu-
lous parts of the experience of Amer
cans. 1t seems to be considered a cheap
luxury to have lawsuit, and yet it is
very expensive. 1t has got so half OF the
people seem to have chip on their
shoulder all the time, ready for some
body to knock it of, and the first thing
they do when they think they have been
injured is to go for lawyer or justice
of the peace, and a lawsuit is the result;
men who are not interested are taken
from their business to act as jurors, and
i'll feeling is created that lasts forever.
The fact that the poorest person in the
world can indulg.s.in a lawsuit, aud be
encouraged by lawyers, and pointed at
as ''the one who had the lawsuit, causes
many cases in courts. Instead of using
every other device for a settlement of
differences before resorting to the courts,
a lawsuit is the first thing thought of.
If man slips down on the sidewalk, he
looks up to see who owns the building
in front of which he fell. with view of
suing him for damages, even before he
feels of himself to find if he is hurt. He
does not stop to think that perhaps his
boots are to blame, being run over at
the heel, and it does not enter his head
that he is liable to be beaten in the law
suit and have bill of costs saddled onto
him. Two men are driving in opposite
directions and run into each other, and,
without stopping to reason together to
see if the damage cannot be amicably
settled, they shake their fists at each
other, call names, and one drives off
after policeman and the other goes to
a Justice of the peace to complain, and
a lawsuit is the result, in which both are
damaged more than by the accident, but
each always believes that the other is
pirate, and their children quit speaking
to each other. IL men who have differ
ences would go to some neighbor and
state their case and abide by his deci-
sion, shake hands and be friends after
ward, the country would be better off.
Not many months ago a man felt ag-
grieved at something that appeared in
the San, and after blowing around for a |
day or two he came to the office to inter
view the editor. He explained his
grievance, and wound up by saying that |
his lawyer had told him that the article
was ibelous, and that he could recover
Iho I,
suit and never wanted one, and he said |
to the man:
''Partner, a lawsuit is a foolish way to
enjoy religion. Now, I'll tell you what
to do. You go to the President of the |
Merchants Association, of which you
are a member and I am not Have the
President appoint committee of five |
men from the association to fio.,~ 5-e''~
Yor7 fsIye4fTssA paper contain |
ing the obnoxious article Fo them, and |
state your case, Just as strong as you
can. I will not make any defense.
Whatever amount they say you have
been damaged will give a check for,
and we will shake hands and be friends,
and go to the same church as usual, and
listen to the same minister preach the
gospel. If I have damaged you, you
must have your money; but we don't
want to spend the balance of our lives
in lawsuit"
The man stopped and thought a mo-
ment, and said:
"Ihat is the fairest proposition I ever
heard. and you don't owe me cent, and
the matter shall drop from this mo-
ment."
If people would never go into law
suit until they couldn't go into anything
else, there would be fewer men with enc
mics all around, and while lawyers might
get tired sitting around, it would do
them good in the end.-Peck'S San.