Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-03-10
OUR COURT SYSTEM.

OUR COURT SISIEm.
If a constitutions! convention should
be ordered at the election TO be held
on the fourth Thursday in May one
of the most prominent subjects that viii
engage its attention will be the reorgani-
cation Of the judiciary system of this
state
In most Of the States of the Union
the judges are elected by the direct vote
Of the people. And so might they well
be elected in Virginia If we could eli
inmate from the Virginia electorate that
venal and ignorant class of voters. which
Is constant menace 20 the political
peace OF the State. But public opinion
seems not yet ripe for a restrictive suf-
frage.
The drift of discussion on the part
OF those who favor an abandonment Of
the present county court system ind-
Gates a desire on the part of many TO
increase the number of circuit court
judges and do away with the county
court judges-the work the latter now
do 10 be divided between the circuit
courts, the justices, and the county
court clerks. 1t is also proposed we
believe. that instead of having attorneys
for the Commonwealth for each county.
we should have one attorney for each
circuit
With some arrangement of the judi
ciary system such as that. II is believed
a constitutional amendment might be
adopted 10 give TO the people a direct
vote i'm the election Of judges. AS we
recall it, this is the proposition of Mr..
Camm Patteson. But with the Vlr-
ginia electorate constituted as at pre-
sent, the change would certainly be
fraught with danger.
There is very little complaint now as
TO the personnel of our judiciary; but
under the proposed system and with
our present electorate. there would
be cause 10 fear that combinations
would be made which would give us
very inferior judiciary.
Nor with the present electorate could
we hope to get the best class of men
for justices in all of the counties. In
not a few counties Of Virginia negro
justices are regularly elected, and 1t
would be needless TO expect that these
could or would give satisfaction to the
general public.
The truth is that the county court
system has served good purpose in
this State. and when We come to con-
slider seriously how we may adopt
suitable substitute for IL we shall have
a puzzling problem before us.
in the first place we ought to make
no
efficient as the present system in the
administration of the law. Next we
ought 10 make sure that the new sys-
lem would be really more economical
than our present one is.
Frequent reference has been made to
the economy OF the system in operation
in North Carolina; but il happens that
north Carolina has not as large city
population as Virginia. IL must be eX-
pscted that the larger the city popula-
ton Is the more courts will be needed,
and the greater will be the cost of
administering justice in them. The
cities contribute by far the greater part
OF Virginia's income. and they also en-
TAN considerable cost upon the State,
for the maintenance Of courts. Yet. we
doubt II any city in the State could do
with fewer courts than it now has.
However, we do not care to so fur
Their into these matters now But we
M can see how dangerous II would be
n we were TO call a convention before
we had formulated a scheme Of work
for that convention 10 do. How much
better u would be 10 withhold cur con-
sent 10 the assembling OF a convention
until public opinion is IN a formative
stage as to the work that the conyen-
tion ought 10 do. Then, with candid
declaration OF purposes on the part OF
the State Democratic Convention, we
might safely enter upon constitutional
convention campaign. And then we
could have no misgivings az TO the pro-
liability of majority Of the members
being true Democrats.
Let US pause and consider the danger