The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-03-24
The Southern Utah Grievance

The Southern Utah Grievance.
The people in Southern Utah have
grievance. 1t is an old one. But it
loses none of its bitterness by age. The
more they endure it the harder it is to
bear. THE HERALD has touched upon it
before, but being urged to do SO will re-
Ter to it again.
That section Of the territory is organized
as the Second Judicial District, the head
quarters of which are at Beaver, SO fixed
for the convenience of the court, and be-
cause it is as near the center as a suitable
town for it could be found. Under the
law the Judge for the district is assigned
by the supreme court of the territory,
and it is provided by act of Congress that
each Judge shall reside in the district to
which he is assigned"
The organization of the district is not
Objectionable, the place for the holding
of court is not complained OF, but the I'M
certainties OF the law are increased by the
uncertainty of having any court held at
the regular terms, of sufficient length OF
time to transact the pressing legal bust
ness of the district.
The recent action of Judge BARTcH is
case in point. He was assigned to the
Second Judicial District. Does he make
any pretense of residing there? Not that
we are aware of. He went to Beaver,
stayed long enough to open court and en-
panel juries and put people in all parts of
the district to the inconvenience OF COM
ing long distances either as litigants or
witnesses to no purpose, then adjourned
court and hied him back to this city.
He had to attend the supreme court
here. That was necessary, perhaps.
Was he obliged to shut up shop in
Beaver and leave the legal business
there unsettled until the next term of
court in that district? The people OF the
district do not view it in that light. They
say it cost at least Sc, 600, divided about
equally between the territory and the
national government, for his brief visit
to Beaver and all to little purpose.
Many persons arrived there, having
been supenaed as witnesses or appearing
as litigants after the court had adjourned.
They had to return without accomplish
ing anything, and feeling hot against the
judge and against the parties concerned
in the outrage perpetrated upon them.
Anyone who has travelled over the awful
roads which intervene between Beaver and
the distant towns in that district, eau
understand the feelings of people who
are compelled take the trip and all for a
solemn nothing.
Here is one OF the cases as an illustra-
ton: A notorious criminal who had been
thrice sentenced to terms in the peniten-
tiary, was accused in June, 1892, OF cattle
stealing. Witnesses had to take that
rough and tedious journey from St.
George to Beaver, 100 miles over an indie
scribable country, and to repeat the I'M
uGltdhllS d1 bn1o UCl1n VI COuIb WH6n he
was indicted. They will have to make a
third journey when he is tried. if his case
ever comes up.
Stock-owners prefer to let the cattle
thieves go rather than to go to the trouble,
expense and modification arising from
the kind OF prosecutions they have in the
Second Judicial district. And the thieves
laugh at the law because all they have to
do is to get bail, with the probabilities on
the side OF postponement until the pa
thence of the witnesses is worn out.
Why do not the judges appointed to adj
minister the law have grace enough to
pay some attention to honoring the law
themselves? Under the POLAND law four
terms must be held in each judicial dis
trict, and, as we have already quoted, the
judges must reside in their respective
districts. The organic act of Utah in Sec
ton says further, "the Judges shall,
after their appointments, respectively re-
side in the districts which shall be as
signed TO Them Now II Judge BARTCH
viii not comply with the law himself,
why should he sit to compel obedience to
it from others?
A remedy is demanded for the evils ex-
listing in the Second judicial district.
The people have cause for complaint.
They have right to be heard. Ii some-
thing is not done here to rectify the
wrong, they should carry their cause to
the Department OF Justice at the seat OF
government and see if they cannot get
proper redress.
THAT IS great compliment which Mrs.