The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1885-10-08

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FfnEs Coreaas ODns.
Edisers Fssrxdiam In your ia1ss Of the 3lth
ult.. An Old Justice Of Tia PeAoe asks Ne
County Fathers ~ Inlurmattod about thsir
circular letter to the 1astics Of he county. Il
10 trite saying that thers are nonc % blind -
those who win not 81" and IL h certainly vsFi
6ed in this instances. The leiter was written
In plain, homespun English, and anyone
having a bowling acquaintance with Lindley
Murray could NOT fail to comprehend its simple
meaning. II simply notified the Justices that
they must try their cases forthwith, and not put
the county to the Unnecessary expense of keep
ing and feeding the prisoners at 40 cents per
day until IL suited their convenience to give the
case . hearing. There was not word said
about holding them responsible after the parties
were committed for trial at the next term Of the
Circuit Court. Was there anything very abstruse
in thiss The present Board Of County Commits
sioners were duly recommended, unsolicited by
themselves, for every member made no little per-
sonal sacrifice in accepting the honor, to the Gov
ernor for appointment, by the good people Of
the county. and he, in Difference to their wishes
expressed at the polls, acted accordingly. -Four
times have the people had the opportunity OF
putting others in their place if they deemed
them unworthy of The trust reposed in them, and
instead of doing so there has never been one sol
itary instance of dissatisfaction expressed at the
polls. We feel much fattered by this unani-
nous confidence, and it inspires each member TO
use his best endeavd9 mos eahuse il. The Board
has run the county on strict business principles
OHx,,o hov haan ma cd
ought to have kept them out of the way. The
knife has been fearlessIy used in cutting away
all gangreenous excresences that were sappng
the very vitals of the county, and the result has
been appreciated by all right.minded people.
Reverting to An Old Justice ofthe Peace" l
have reluctantly 10 say that the county has been
put to enormous unnecessary expense by the Gu
pidity of many of those who hold that Office.
The people expect them to be cOnservatOrs OF
the peace, not incitors OF strife. The Governor
endeavors 10 select intelligent, discreet men, and
expects them to use Judgment and discretion 10
dispensing justice. The office was never intended
to simply provide living Tor its occupants In
olden times it was one solely OF honor, now it is
too often sought for its perquisites alone. They
ought to impress upon the minds of would-be
itigants that the law was intended to protect
their lives and property not to crafty their desire
for revenge for petty grievances There is a
large class OF people among US who ought to be
treated as we would our children, for they GER
tainly are in their infancy with regard 10 ideas
of good citizenship, and We ought 10 counsel and
advise them in The most friendly manner for their
own good, and not TO tamper too much with the
law. Who among US has not seen many in
stances of the kind am about to relate? Tom
and Dick are discussing some trivial matter, they
become excited, and Tom calls Dick liar Dick
slaps Toms jaws, and Tom, after putting the
army in Flanders" to shame for their want of
proficiency in swearing, calls his friends around
him, and they all hasten 10 the nearest Justice,
and, instead of waiting for his ire to cool, adds
fuel To the flame by telling his grievance to every
one he meets, and by the time he reaches the
Justice he has all the men, women and children
OF several plantations at his heels. Arrived in
the austere presence of the Justice he states his
grievance in the most excited manner What is
it! What has caused this great and increasing
commotion? Tom called Dick liar and Dick
slapped his jaws II! Does the Justice ask Tom
if he ia hurt, or look To see if there is any pro-
tuberance on the said jaws? No. Does he tell
Tom that this is all nonsense and that if he had
have staid at home il would all have passed away
in few days! No. Does he use small modi-
cum of common sense and discretion, and tell
him that the county cannot afford TO notice such
trifies? No. He sees the glimmer of a few sill
yer dollars that he may take in, and deliberately
grants to Tom a warrant subppnas some half a
dozen witnesses, puts it in the hands of his con-
stable who proceeds 10 arrest Dick, causing an
other wild disturbance on the plantation, and
takes Dick before his Honor, who, after having
duly adjusted his spectacles on his nose pro-
ceeds to sOlemnly read the warrant to Dick, and
then asks what he has to say for himself Dick
tells him that he can prove by half dozen wit
nesses that he didn't slap Toms jaws. The JUS
tice subppnas all these witnesses and adjourns
court until the next day IN order that his consta-
bic may make the additional mileage, &C. That
night the whole neighbOrhOod within radius of
five or six miles is in blaze of excitement
about the great trial that is 10 come off on the
morrow. The next morning stranger would
think that there was a big baptizing some
where from the number of wagons and
OK carts loaded down with men, women and
children going TO see Tom ge: justice Well,
The constable sings out " order gcmmen and la
dies" Court is duly opened and the great as
sault and battery case comes off. After jabber
that would puta respectable monkey TO shame,
Dick is found guilty and bound over to the Cir
cult Court, and If he cannot get bail he is sent to
Jail to be kept there at an expense of 40 cents
day until the next term OF the Circuit Court,
which may be five or six months off, The
Grand Jury now takes up the case and fails to
find true bill against Dick, 80 he is dismissed
after the costs have been run up TO over hundred
dolars-and for what? A discreet, right minded
Justice could have disposed of il in five minutes
without it costing cent, by simply telling Tom
that his charge was frivolous nonsense and that
the law was never intended for purposes of petty
revenge. Tom would have gone home, and in q
few days he and Dick would have been as good
friends as ever. II the matter had have been re-
ported TO the grand jury they would have CON-
mended the Justice tor his discreet action AS
| do not belive in masked batteries, sign my
name in full JUNIUs l.. TAYLOR