Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-03-21
THE CHANGE O
Interv Jews With Leading At
torneys on the Court of APP
peals Question.

by 4 reporter for the LEDGER
on the question of placing Audrain
county in the Eastern Court of APP
peals District. OF those seen, one
favored the change and another,
VIM. II. KEENAN,, declined to talk
on the subject. Judge florists
office was visited, but that gentle
man was absent, being out of the
city. 1t is understood, however,
that he is strong in his belief that
Audrain should remain in the
Western District.
W. W. Fry favors the change.
He said:
Il have many reasons that the
. change should be made, the most
potent of which are that we are
sixty miles nearer st. Louis than
Kansas City and if we remain in
the Western District u judicial
and congressional districts are
divided. Another strong reason
that the change should be made Is
that we have access to avery much
better law library at St. Louis than
at Kansas City. These courts
meet at the same time and it is
frequently the case that we have
business in both ofthem. Cases in
which a change of venue is taken
to II of the Eastern District
counties are appealed, of course,
to St. Louis. Then there are
| political reasons that call for the
change. The Western District is
overwhelmingly Democratic, while
the Eastern is close. To place Au-
drain in the St. Louis District
means to help the party IN that
district"
W. A. Edmonston said: "I
am taking no interest IN the matter
but l think the change will not be
made"
Geo. Robertson said: eve are
pie sanity located and SO far as a
nip TO attend court either at Kan
sas City or St. Louis the difference
IN expense TO Kansas City is very
trihing; and with the fast train on
the Chicago x Alton, you a leave
about the same hour IN the night,
arrive at Kansas City about the
same hour hat you arrive at St.
Louis and can leave Kanas City at
4 O'Clock in the afternoon and ar
rive home at ten that night, thus
making a trip to Kansas City and
return, and having one whole day
in the town and arrive home at a
more seasonable hour at night than
you can from St. Louis. This
county helped to elect the present
Judges of the Kansas City Court of
Appeals. AS will be remembered,
Ellison and Gen. Smith carried
this county by large majorities in
fact, each got about two-thirds of
the vote cast in the primary and
Judge Gill got a very large vote
and has a great many friends here.
When a case goes from this county
to the Court of Appeals it is tried
on the record, and the witnesses in
the case, nor the parties, are re-
quired to attend, and it is about
one casein ten when 1t is necessary
for the lawyer even to attend that
court. The Judges Of the Kansas
City Court of Appeals are all ac-
tive, hard working men and keep
up with the docket, and there are
no delays in that court. Both dis
tricts are largely Democratic, and
there a be no political reasons
for putting this county into the
Eastern district. Before the pres
ent districts we're made the St.
Louis district was Republican,
and at present there are on
that bench two Republican judges,
Judge Biggs, the only Democrat,
having been elected last fall, since
the prezent districts we're made.
The fact that part of the counties
in this Judicial District are IN the
St. Louis District, and part in the
Kansas City, has never, so far as |
am informed, created any incon-
venience yet, nor do | see that 1t
will. |, myself, am not troubled
much with practice in the counties
in the St. Louis District, but
Judges Forrist and Macfarlane who
do have business in those counties.
and who would be troubled with
the conflict, if they were any, r
opposed 10 the change, | believe.
We are practically as near Kansas
City as we are to st. Louis and we
are now established at Kansas City
and there are a number of cases
there now that would probably
have to be transferred or disturbed
in some way by the change. Take it
all around, l am opposed to the
change. If Montgomery county
wants 10 60 to St. Louis that is
their business, none of ours. My
objections have reference toAudrain
county only"
J. G. Trimble said "I am op-
posed TO the change. | have quite
a number of reasons, but | suppose
they have all been given by those
you have have already interviewed.
l do not like the dominating in
~fluence of a large city like St.