The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-05-12
OUR SUPREME COURT.
CONTRAST BETWEEN THOSE OF
ALABAMA AND GEORGIA,
Proving Plainly the Necessity for a
Clean Swoep-The Interests of
the People Demand IL.

Nashville Banner. The Supreme
Court OF Alabnms, like the court Of
Georgia, has cleared up its docket, In
Tennessee the court Is four or five
years behind with It's docket. Yet
there has been as much litigation in
Georgia and Alabama rs there has
been in Tennessee. What makes the
difference The courts in Georgia and
Alabama have gone Ghead ana vigor.
ou,ly attended TO the work, while the
Tennessee court has dIoned along,
wasting day in every week reading
u3elessly long opinions. The more
you think OF 1t the more intolerable
becomes the thought Of retaining the
old court in office TO drone away to
dotage and doomsday. We need new
judges, and the people demand new
judges who can give some life and
efficiency to the Supreme Court OF
Tennessee.
The Supreme Court OF Georgia has
Just adjourned, having disposed OF the
whole docket and leaving no causes
unheard. There are only three Su.
pIeme Judges in Georgia, and they
hold two terms each year, attend TO
the large business brought before
them and have a good vacation for
rest. Instead OF droning away a few
short hours each day writing long
and wateTy opinions and idling the
bulk Of the time, they 90 to work like
men who mean business. They rule
attorneys down to brief statement
and explanation OF the points at issue,
m AXE prompt decisions and furnish at
the time, as required by the Georgia
law, short head-notes or abstracts Of
their opinionP, and reserve the writing
of extended opinions In ca ,es Of i'm
portance until their vacation season,
vixen these opinions are conoisely
written.
Here in Tennessee we have Ave
Supreme Judges who are 30 far be-
hind in their work you could cover
them out OF sight with the documents
that have grown musty awaiting their
attention, Notwithstanding the fact
| that our Supreme Bench hes had the
assistance of Arbitration and Referee
| COurts, which have cost the State
Thousands OF dollars, the docket ia still
piled mountain nigh, and 'itigants
4 are compelled TO wait years and years
| before their cases can be heard. The
court, with all this accumulation of
business on hand, has been sitting but
thiee hours a day, and plodding along
Ia its slow and old iJsy way, while the
Interests of the people are suffering
on account OF outrage Gus delay.
The contrast between our court and
the Georgia court is marked. The
Georgia court has as much business a.
our court, yet, with two Judges less, il
keeps the docket clean. In other
words, the Georgia court works and
attends promptly and efficiently ia
business, while our slow-moving oourl
takes its own sweet time and c)nven-
fence, while the public must wait and
wait. The Tennessee court has got
into rut in which it will stay so long
as the present judges remain on the
bench. We must have more vigor-
GUS court. The p"ople are tired OF un.
ending delay in business that would
be promptly dispatched il we had 8
new and vigorous bench.
We may add that the prompt dis
patch of business by the GeorgiI
court, instead Of resulting in depre
citation OF the weight OF the opinions o
that court has enhanced them. Tht
opinions of the G eoTgia court are more
hiVhlv esteemed and have create
" eight by far than the opinions OF OF
Tennessee court In the courts o.
othar States the decisions of the Su
prsme Court of Georgia are quoted ter
times oftener then are the decisions o
the Supreme Court Of Tennessee. Tit
'amentaole fact il, the Tennessee cou
! stands at about the bottom Of ths ! st
Tennessee lawyers who are called 4
prfct ce in courts in other States ar,
MOI titled to find that the opinions o
our court have 30 little weight. Ont
case is instanOed in an OHIO court.
lawyer, TO sustain an argument, cite'
| the opinion of the Supreme Court o
Tennessee. The opposing sttorne
dismissed the opinion with signii
cant smile, and said he would not vast
tine in discussing that opinion as au
thltity.
The old court must &c,