The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-10-16
The Snnreme Court.

To the Editor OF the indianapolis Jou rnal:
One of the most important branches of the
State government is the Supreme Court the
business of that court has been accommodating
until, as shown by the last printed docket,
there are 1,0S7 cases pending. The Judges of
the court are Democratic, with the exception
of Judge Elliott. At the Noven Der election
there are to be three judges elected to succeed
Judges Niblack, Howk and collars. AS the
Democratic party has renominated these three
judges it is important that the people should
know how these officials have discharged
their duty to the State. All of the cases de-
cided by the court are reported, showing
which judge examined the case and wrote
the opinion, so that any person by examining
the Indiana Reports can see Just what each
judge has done. BY such examination it will
be found that at the May and November
terms, 1SS6-including the time from the
fourth Monday in May. 1886, TO
the fourth Monday in May, 1Ss7-one
year-the total number of cases
decided was 4S6. OF this number the cases
were examined. and the opinions written by
the judges as follows: Elliott, 136; Mitchell,
III; Howk, 81; Niblack, 20, and collars, 6S.
Petitions for rehearing bear the same ratio.
1t further appears that no judge was confined
to any one class of cases. but cases were dis
tributed to the judges so that there would be
an average amount of work in alike number of
cases. This shows Judge Elliott. during one
year, to have examined and written opinions
in % more cases than Judge Howk, GO more
than Judge Niblack. and 68 more, or twice
as many as Judge collars. If these Judges,
who are candidates for reelection, had been as
II IL L. !
Elliott, there would have been decided by
that court 119 more cases during that one
year. We have taken the one year. 1t is
doubtless a fair average of the six years
these judges have been upon the bench.
If so, had they performed a like
service to Judge Elliott, during their term of
six years that court would have decided and
disposed Of during that time LOLA more cases
than they have, and the Supreme Court
would be up with the business instead of hav-
ing, as shown by the docket, in May last,
LOST cases undisposed of, more cases than
the court, as now constituted, decides in two
years.
During that year Judge Elliott examined,
passed upon and wrote the opinions in as
many cases as both Judges Niblack and collars,
and Judge Mitchell has done nearly as much
work as Judge Elliott. The full number of
cases decided since that time are not yet pub
lished in the Indiana Reports, but the North
eastern Reporter. taken by many Indiana law
yers. contains the cases decided by the Indi-
ana Supreme Court, giving dates of such de-
cisions. From the Reporter it will be seen
that the number of opinions written by
the several judges from Jan. 1,
1887, to Jan. l, 1883, were as
follows: Elliott, 1873; Mitchell. lis; Howk, 10;
Niblack. 90; collars, 90; showing Elliott and
Mitchell each during that time to have ex-
amined as many cases and written as many
opinions as both Niblack and collars. Mani
festly the Supreme Court needs recognizing
and the putting of new blood into it. jugs
Niblack and Howk are old men, too old to do
efficient work on the bench, which probably
: accounts for their delinquency. while, as re-
CARDS Judge collars, who is in the prime of
life and did the least of any judge upon the
bench, it can only be attributed to a lack of
ability or energy.
The Republican party has nominated against
these three candidates Judges Silas d. Coffey,
John G.. Berkshire and Walter Olds. all men
in the prime of life. active and energetic,
recognized as being able lawyers and ~jurists,
each having served on the circuit bench with
excellent satisfaction to the people and the
bar. The people of Indiana should see that
they are elected and a change made in the
Supreme Court. LAWYER.