Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-12-15

AVOID LAWSUITS. L

Litigation an Expensive Method of Settling
Business Difficulties.
Seldom is either party to great
lawsuit satisfied with the result. Even
to the one who obtains favorable
verdict, the long list of expenses, vex-
atious delays and uncertainties more
than offsets the fruits of victory Few
men would appeal to the law in the set
tlement of business disputes could they
realize the possible delays of the law,
the exorbitant charges of attorneys
and other expenses incidental to the
successful prosecution of suit.
Again, if the merchant or manufact-
urer would, before commencing a suit,
pay visit to the courthouse and
casually examine the men of whom
the juries are composed, he would hes
itate to submit his grievances to such
tribunal for adjustment. In every
large city there are hundreds of polit-
ical strikers, hangers-on, men without
legitimate employment, whose names
are placed on jury lists, who have few
or no qualifications for the place. The
jury system, as conducted in our cities,
is failure in the consideration and
settlement of complicated business
matters or in the solution of difficult
mechanical problems, such as fire.
quently arise in the trial of certain
cases.
With the average jury, the true
merits of case do not always control
the verdict. Prejudice, popular
lawyer, an accident, a confused wit
ness, the appearance or occupation of
the parties TO the suit, politics., re-
ligion, are all incidental factors in
shaping a verdict in the minds of ig-
norant, unframed, weak-minded jury
men. Justice and equity do not always
prevail in the appeal to twelve men.
Business lawsuits are too frequently
born of heated passion, misunderstand-
ing, ignorance of all the facts of the
law governing the case, false pride in
maintaining an opinion of a threat, an
overbearing disposition, or perhaps
disinclination to look calmly at both
sides OF. question. There are cases in
the lives of many men when lawsuit
can not be avoided, but they are few.
Fifty per cent. of all disputes could
better be settled by reference to ex-
perts or those versed in matters similar
to those in dispute. Many suit would
be dropped were the plaintiff able to
count The cost at the commencement
Many suit would be avoided were
the parties in interest willing to weigh
calmly both sides of the question, and
to do unto their fellow men as they
would be done by.
Think of a business man, whose time
is almost invaluable to HIM in his regu-
lar round of duties, hanging around
courthouse day after day, awaiting the
coming up of his case, witnesses under
pay, costs accumulating, patience be-
ing exhausted, and all perhaps to set
tie the point whether his neighbor
owes him fifty dollars more or less.
An appeal to the courts of law is
akin to buying lottery ticket, though
the result is not known so speedily.
The victims suferings are longer
drawn out, his money is taken in
smaller but more frequent installments.
A suit at law destroys a mans equilib-
rum, makes him nervous, irritable,
ugly, prevents him from giving the
needed thought and attention to his
legitimate business, and generally ends
in loss and disappointment. The law
suit is seldom worth it's cost, even to
the one who obtains the verdict. Avoid
it whenever possible to do SO without
prejudice to your property or character.
-Md4as1f fdctureT'S Gazette