Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-03-17
STRUCK IN THE BACK
A Correspondent for The Demo
erat Strikes a Blor
AGAINST The SUPERIOR COURT
Ne h~ad& THE Herald and = Goa
sise<<i That the Co~rt -
-tst~rsy WsrshIr~s.~

Following IL letter which Appeared Ia
yesterdays Deupsfar Ihs writer u
evidently very familiar with the business
transacted IA the superior e,urt His
reasoning y profoundly Impressive. lie
strikes at he utterly useless sad extfss-
sgant tribrnaI with crushing force. Il
y. perhaps. the best written and most
thoroughly convincing argument among
msny others in favor a the atolishment
q the court that has appeared in The
Democrat he shows. with clearness.
that the court. 4 il we're useful has
ontiised iis usefulness. All the erimi-
IA business heretofore -snf fo the sups~
nor court - nox transacted b, the police
court AMI The Justices court leaving for
that tribunal only few minor cases.
AL tins the writer shows with such dis
unefners that nobo.is can beio reckless
~ The truth a. "a dispute him. Ills
Characterization q the court utterly
eorthless- - emphasized by the fact
that all criminal cases u any Importance
are -eft - the circuit. and the minor
crimes are properly disposed 81 ia the
courts ranking a. o. intelligence and
linllte,l jurisdiction with tho 'one horse"
court against which his shafts u sar-
casn are hurled With telling power.
The letter - ~ f0lloas.
f.Drros o. IHE DsNocRAr--I have
been kicking myself all the morning
since l read The convincing editorial In
fhis morning = HEkAID on The Suferior
Court Calendar" How I could have
ben - blind a. o. have signesl protest
against The abolition II that utterly
worthless -one horse- court il more than
l can $50. just think OF IL. -Only
twenty one crimiEsl cases. some Of them
Tor sentence only. eight liquor cases aud
the other nine ranging FROM only one
IDEALLY assault e. four larceny ca-s-
Can u Re possible, Not one criminal
Gaze u any magnitude. Scarcely any
Violations - the liquor law. The Grim
inal business might be disposed - in
Two days. Net case II highway rob
berry, 20 citizen knocked down and
robbed on our principal residence streets:
net 4 single case q assault upon little
giEis. no murders or nlanslaughters and
the criminal calendar q two terms ago
sith ~ seventy four criminal eases have
dNindicd down q, only one deadly as
saulr four cases IL larceny and few
violaflons - the liquor Law. What are
- coming to- Al this rate n decrease
n crime. u will only be term OF two
before that one horse superior eour;
and ifs Judge will not leave a single
criminal case II any description "a the
hssis Tor a calendar Now I ann salts
iiesl that something must BE- done. and
dcne quickly. before the criminal ele.
ment entirely abandors Der thriving
city and leaves "a without a single rep.
reserfaiIye - that important fnarfciai
element just o. think - "A eify 4
nearly 10000 population. VITA electric
lights. electric roads and navigahle river
amt al ether modern luefrofoiitan par-
aphernalit and that ore -secntial ele
nl~ut The criminal crushed cut through
he cool. deliberate prene,lifitted actions
- one single little. an cniiitant fourth
cars -cue horse" suTef.or court III
thar court - net abolished rrhf away
sld he preeert judge thereof immedi
atelF reiezated - that otsetrity from
which he came. vho ran saftly freslict
that 80 vii have a single criminal case
81 basis for May ferui: which must
result .n uutold misfortune. FOR in
srcr ease Jury would have 10 be ,iis
changed uithpas drawing any pay from
tse county our jail. tulit AZ an enor
ntous expense would ~ empty Our
police heas'quartffs wo0il Become a
rse'ess ornament - oar cts. aud con
TRACTORS could rnt bad en- additions 10
eur city prisons. Ihese.and other evils
n similar nature are forced upor our
otherwise crterrrisirg citr. Other
CITIES - cur are have iar1e ard con
s'antly Increasing criminal calendars.
j. there any good reason why eur city.