The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-02-17

FRIDAY. FEBRUARY II. 1881.
nor nr PACIFIC ooAsf.
SAN DIEGO, Feb. 9Th. 1883.


MILLER Reads Poem.
SAN DIEGO, Feb. 9Th. 1883.
learn from Judge Luce, APRON
inent retired attorney here, that there
are about one hundred ard twenty
five lawyers in active (more or less
active) practice herr. and that attorneys
are coming in at the rate OF twenty
five per month. The bulk Of the busi-
ness is in the hands Of q half dozen
leading firms, and the rest battep en-
the leavings. There IL really very
large amount Of legal business here,
growing mainly out Of stseet rows and
misunderstanding about real estate
Each week since I have been here has
furnished at least one homicide. Ere
quently there are more.
I attended an important murder
trial in the Superior Court(oorrespond-
ing to our District Court) last week.
tn leading attorneys Of the city ap-
peared upon one side or the other. 1t
will strike lawyers as little peculiar
that after a trial consuming q week,
both sides agreed to submit the case to
the jury without argument. 1t IL also
worthy of remark that after the jury
were out less than three hours, they re-
turned and stated that they could not
agree; and the Judge discharged
them. They stood eight to four. The
Superior Court is very much over
crowded with business, and although
it is in session all the time, all civil
cases in which there is any contest
have to wait their turn for six or nine
months. have heard the abandon of
judges and lawyers in Kansas Courts
criticised somewhat severely, but I
know at least one Kansas Court that is
q model Of decorum beside:the Superior
Court of San. Diego county. The
Court allows long discussion on ques-
lions of admissibility of evidence, and
frequently three or four irate attorneys
have the floor at the same time.
When the Judge begins to'admonish"
the jury previous to recess, the audi
ence with one accord makes break
for the door, and the more or less
solemn admonition is lost in the
indecorous melee. One of the notorious,
II not famous, lawyers here is woman.
At first glance she looks little out OF
place in the somewhat easy air of the
courtroom, and among fifty or q hum
dred lawyers, male. But she evident
ly doesn't feel out Of placG, and of
course she is treated with great cour-
tesy. She is bright looking woman,
and as might be expected, has hair of
the color indicative of q oombative dis
position. Think of woman arguing
q demurrer! That was what she
was doing when first I saw her, but
her demurrer was over-ruled just as
inexorably az if she had been q man.
Justice is blind you know. She is
married, ] believe, but her husband.
poor man. is entirely lost in the great
ness Of Madame.
Mr.. Darby, formerly Of Humboldt,
has become well established in the
practice here, and seems to be doing .
good business.
didn't mean to intrude politics into
these letters but speaking of criminals
reminds me Of saloons somehow, and
speaking of saloons will land me in
politics, I fear. AZ with all booming
towns on this coast it goes without
saying that the omnipresent saloon
is the curse of San Diego. When::I am
brought face to face with the unspeak-
able wretchedness and the countless
crimes chargeable to the saloons, I say
again and again, thrice happy Kansas!
Prohibition may not prohibit, but for
some reason there is an air of decency
and respectability about the streets
Of q Kansas town that one becomes a
stranger to as soon as he steps across
her borders. However, prohibition is
not esteemed practicable here yet, and
not insisted upon, except.by . fewthird
party enthusiasts, who are here as
everywhere, playing into the hands Of
the democrats in q way that is child
like and bland. The struggle here is
between high and low license. At the
last city election, although the city is
slightly republican, the democrats, by
fusing with the so-calIed "labor VOTE"
elected the Mayor and four of the
twelve Councilmen. A:few weeks ago,
by the votes of the eight republican
conncilmen, an ordinance was passed
raising the saloon license from the
present figures. The democratic may
or promptly vetoed the ordinance. He
gave as one Of his reasons that there
was mo pretense of ::raising the tax
on other branches of business" and he
appointed committee Of three demo.
cratic Tor fusion) members Of the coun-
Gil to revise the rates of taxation on
the various branches of business in the
city. This committee, . day or two
since. brought IN report recommend
ing an increase Of about SO per cent on
the license tax of nearly every bushes
in the city, except the saloon Hcense,
which is left at its present figures.
This naturally raises u storm among