Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-11-27
OUR LETTER BOX.
LET'S HAVE THE NEW COURT.


Editor State Herald.
The communications which have ap-
peared in your paper relative to the new
court bill now pending in the legislature
nave been real interesting, especially
those written by ''Senex" and "Obscrv-
err" alias 1.-The Same" In an effort to
bias the mind of the people and our rep
resentatives against the bill, he says
nothing about what it saves the city of
birmingham, but leaves the impression
that the county must pay the entire sal
airy of $1,000, and that the people must
be taxed that amount. He can't bear
to think of the dear people paying out
200 to save several thousand. Now, as
matter of fact, the city pays $500 and
the county $1,000 of the salary VIII it
bankrupt the city of Birmingham to pay
Judge and clerk per annum the sum of
$b00 to attend to all the city cases when
1t now pays $1,000? 1t Is all bosh for
these reform candidates for mayor to be
talking about the mayor doing that work,
as will readily be observed by attending
few mornings at police court. The
same fellows would doubtless like to have
the police department under the control
of the mayor and aldermen. But this
fellow, The Same" lays great stress on
the extra burden of tax the new court
would put on the people. This shows
how blissfully ignorant he is of what he
is tallsiSg about; I prefer to put in on the
full intention to deceive and misrepresent
things to the dear people. The fact is,
by a special law for this county all the
solicitors fees taxed against each de-
PENDANT convicted goes into the genral
fund of the county treasury The rec
ords of the county treasurer show that
the amount of money received as solic-
itor's fees under the law mentioned above.
exceeds by several thousand dollars eech
year the amount of money paid out for
SOLICITORS salaries and judges Of the Grim
inal and circuit courts OF Jefferson coun-
ty. Thus it will be seen that the treas
ury of the county is really the debtor
OF the administration of the criminal law
of the county. But think Mr., Harrison
hit the nail on the head when he showed
where the new court would clear out the
jail, and that Is what the people of this
county want, too, let it hurt where it
may If you don't believe the jail is full,
Just take a tour through 1t; and | am in
formed that a majority of the prisoners
are charged with some little misdemean-
or. with bail fixed at $500 or 5000, yet so
cents a head must be paid for feeding
them.- Now then. bear in mind that the
criminal court adjourns in June and con-
venes in September leaving July and
August in which no court is held, and
yet during all this time, If little negro
Is put in jail in June for the most trivial
offence, he must stay there until Septem-
Der before he can be tried, and his 30
cents a day is paid all the time. OF
course this delay in trying criminals
cannot be charged against any of the
court officials, because everybody knows
that Judge Greene is perhaps the most
overworked man in Jefferson county; 1t
is simply because the docket is crowded
and the cases cannot be reached any
sooner This new court is to run all the
time, one continuous term. Just as the
second division of the city court keeps
the business of that court right up to
date, so would the second division of the
criminal court clear UP that docket and
keep the number of prisoners in Jail re-
duced which any man can see would be
a great saving to the county and state,
and at the same time, as I have shown,
the people would not suffer any addition
al taxation, because the court would still
be more than self-sustaining.
1t seems to me that one of the main
troubles with 1.-THE Same is that a law
yer would be elected judge of the new
court and he knows that Patrick O'Mul-
lgan. Mike O'Hoolihan or Bill McFad-
den would stand no showing for the
place. Brother, our representatives know
what Is the matter with YOU They have
heard of you before. Beware of these
fellows who always have the interest of
the dear people at heart. They are the
people. ~ -.zs SUBSCRIBER.
November &C. 1896