The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-01-21
Romus F Stewart Hsws Out an Outrageous Be.
arrangement of the Judicial Dis
tricts Of the State.
Senate Has an All.Day Wrangle Over
the Great Fee and Salary Fraud.
Labor Bill Lost in the House-Appropriation
Discused-Fippen and the Pages
Monument Resolutions.
GERRYMANDERING THE COURTS.


Romus stuarts Work IN Respportioning
the Judicial Circuits.
About one week ago senator Stuart, of
Marion. offered resolution directing the
committee on organization of courts to
frame q bill rearranging and reducing the
number of judicial circuits Of the State.
The committee on organization OF courts
objected to having the work thrown on
them, and Senators Stuart, Wrsy and No
Cutcheon were appointed as q special COM
mittee for that purpose. Senator Nowby
moved that the committee be increased, SO
that the north and eastern part OF
the State might be represented,
but Senator McCutoheon insisted
that he and his co-committeemen
were able to perform the work.
The Vanderburg Senator was ignored en-
tirely by the two Democratic members OF
the committee. and q most deplorable
grouping of counties was the consequence.
By the committees report the number OF
districts are reduced by ten, and with no
other object than political motives have
the groupings of counties been made. with
ont any consideration for the convenience
of the people or anything else. The report
il finished and will be introduced next
Monday. when 1t will probably 60 at once
to the committee on organization of courts.
Elkhart county. containing the city OF Elk
hart of about thirteen thousand, and
Goshen, about eight thousand Inhabitants.
with another city of tour thousand inhab-
itants and many other good towns, where,
in addition to the Circuit. q Superior
court has been desired for years.
is joined to Lagrange. Henry county has
one-third more business than Wayne. yet
Wayne Is given Judge and Henry Is
tackled on to Randolph and Randolph's
business has heretofore required Judge of
her own. while Delaware county. with q
smaller population than Randolph is given
q Judge of her own. Madison county, with
one-third less population than Elkhart. IL
also given q Judge, as is Cass county. when,
in fact, it has but two-thirds the popula-
ton of st. Joseph, and the last named
larger population than either Of the coun-
ties of Delaware. Madison or Cass. Again,
the volume of business IN TIppecanoe
county is twice that In Wayne, equal to
that In Allen. more than that in Cass. and
the population greater than that of any OF
these counties except Allen. Yet
Tippecanoe is joined to White
county. which 10 itsslf the seat Of
extensive litigation. -Four years ago the
Legislature severed the circuit composed
of Miami and Wabash. making each q cir.
cuit by itself. This bill puts Miami and
Fulton together. and connects Wabash and
Kosciusko. The counties of Huntington,
Wells BIackford and Grant, which are
within the gas belt. and which have nearly
doubled in population during the last five
years. now have bill before the Legisla-
ture seeking to throw Wells and Blackford
into one circuit. and give Grant and Hunt
Ington each q separate circuit. but the pro-
posed report leaves them without any re-
lief whatever Coming close to lndIanap-
oils Hamilton and Boone. that have been
separate circuits Tor years. with Is much
business az each judge could do. have been
thrown into one circuit 1t WAS shown at
the time that Hamilton county was made q
separate circuit. with seven hundred cases
on the docket and the business three years
behind. The counties of Henry and Ran
dolph have for many years had separate
judges of their OWE, each Judge holdin q
from forty TO forty-four weeks
S SGar' t saSh s sss anS unsss s:
This bill is purported to be in the interest
of the Taxpayers il eating down the num-
Der OF courts. yet it gives each Judge the
power to employ an assistant, which will
increase the expense of the Circuit courts
thrown together. in each of which is q
separate judge, and the Office of circuit
judge being q constitutional office, the eff
fort to legislate them out of Office will be
imperative. The Supreme Court Of the
State has frequently decided that their
terms. whether they transact any bu siness
or not.
Mr.. johnson. of Dearborn county, intro.
duced a resolution in the House yesterday
afternoon. instructing the committee on
organization Of courts to bring In bill re-
and it was referred to committee. This is
part of this same gerrymanderlng effort.