The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1897-02-05

aroused on questions of State affairs.
They have been giving more serious
| consideration to matters of State and
Federal government than ever before;
they have been studying the evils
which beset us; they have been asking
one another what must be done to save
! the people from the evils of bad govern
ment and from the weight of public
taxes. That the people over the State
were aroused in the last election to the
| importance of these State matters, is in
! Dictated by the action of county cOnven-
! tions adopting resolutions, instructing
| their Representatives on various diff
ferent propositions, and for what meas
ures they must vote and work. SO that
now, above all other times, is the time
to reform our constitution, while the
people are aroused to the evils of the
times, while they are in the humOr for
reform, and while yet they are still
! jealous of their rights and liberties. tits
a time of profound peace in state and ma
ton. There is no organized lawlessness
or discomfort in the State which would
endanger the election of calm, capable,
and justminded men to deliberate upon
! the changes in our fundamental law.
And while the people are thoroughly
aroused to the necessity of reforms, and
are deeply sensible of the fact that the
| government is not as much "fOr the
people and by the people" as it should
be, yet there is no evidence of the eX-
istence of violent passions and preiud-
ices; so that, all things considered, the
present seems to be the most propitious
time that could be selected for this
great and important work.
But to recur to the subject in hand.
Our constitution provides, Art. VI,
Sec. 2, that our Supreme Court shall be
held at Knoxville, Nashville and Jack
| son.
There are many reasons that might
be urged for the Supreme Court to sit
only at Nashville, but this change is so
generally desired that it seems hardly
| Y
of it, Every citizen has the right to
have his cause examined carefully and
thoroughly, and not only that, but, in
as much as the formation of our I'M
preme Court the people of the State
are deeply interested in the proper de-
| termination of the law of every case
for whether or not one is individually
concerned in the particular case, the
courts decision affects his rights and
property. Every facility should then
be offered our judges for the proper dis
charge of their duties, and every oppor-
tunity should be given them for the
thorough investigation of questions of
law by furnishing them with librar y
adequate for their purpose.
The State library is very good one
and, of course, is located at Nashville
in the capitol. When the Supre me
Court is sitting at Nashville they have
the use of this library, which is ample
for their purpose, but when at Knox
|
to resort to, and must depend upon such
books as they are able to haul around
with them. 1t is not only humiliat'
ing spect acle for State pride to see oui
Supreme judges running around over
the State, carrying a few books with
them, but it is a matter of grave con
Germ to the State that her judges have
not the proper means to determine the
my, the people are now paying the ex-
penses, which are very considerable, OF
three courts; one at Knoxville, one a
Nashville, and one at Jackson, whereas
vile we would be relieved of the burden
of the other two. But besides these
ample and sufficient reasons for having
the Supreme Court fixed at Nashville
there is another which is of equal i'm
portance to the State and to the citizen
If our court was held at Nashville the
criminal docket could be called three
times year, thus relieving the Stat
VI IllS SlCdV buiuCh VI jan lCCo Palu VI
account of prisoners lying in Jail await
ing their trial in the Supreme Court.
For instance, the Supreme Court hold
one term year at Nashville for thu
counties of the middle division of Tenn
essee, beginning the first Monday il
December of each year. Person
charged with crime who have been con
victed in the lower courts at terms sub
: sequent to this December term will, i
= they are unable to give bond, have t.
lie in Jail till the meeting of the Su
preme Court the following December
year, and the State pays the cost
, whereas, if it was so that the crimina
= docket could be called every fou
months, the State and the defendan
would get justice in a more REASONABLE
time and at far less expense. The eE
cellence, economy, and justice of thi
change are so manifest upon the mer
suggestion that it is needless to furthe
2 pursue the subject, except to repea
that this change cannot be effecte
without constitutional amendment
In the next paper we hope to con
clude that part of our subject whicI
: pertains to the administration of erin
= inal law. SAM HOLDING
RESOLUTIONS OF RESPECT.