The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-05

Chatham county is not the only county
OF the state in which omcial notice has
been taken of the complaints against JUS
tees of the peace. The Fulton county
grand jury, which made its report the lat
ter part OF last week. had all the justices
before it during its term, and reprimanded
them severely for the manner In which
they had conducted their offices. There
was a strong disposition to indict some Of
them. The grand jury recon- nended that
the justices be paid salaries. The infer
ence from this recommends ton is that
the justices encourage litigation in order
TO increase their incomes, and It may be
that the grand jury found that Illegal
fees We're sometimes taken.
That there are great abuses in Justice
courts. particularly in the cities. there is
no doubt. The fees which are exacted in
trivial cases, and, in fact, In nearly all
cases, are a very heavy burden upon those
who are litigants in these courts. The liti-
giants are, as a rule, poor people. Their
only means are their small earnings. A
weeks wages is not sufficient sometimes
to pay Justices charge for drawing a
peace or appearance bond.
In Savannah and Atlanta hundreds of
cases originate in the justice courts OF
which no notice should be taken by the
justices, or which should be dismissed as
being too trivial to occupy the attention
Of the courts. They are dismissed by the
grand juries but there are costs connected
with them which the taxpayers have to
pay. And it is charged that the justices
make no return to the higher courts of
many Of the trivial cases, being satisfied
with the 50 they get for making out an APP
pearance bond. They do not make a re-
turn Of them because they are afraid of
being called to account for burdening the
courts with them.
But would the adoption of the salary
plan, recommended by the Fulton county
grand jury, bring about better condition
Of affairs? Under that plan many of the
justices would pay very little attention TO
their offices. They would not take the
trouble to find out whether or not there
was merit in the complaints made TO them.
Their chief purpose would be TO get their
salaries with as little trouble as possible.
Offenders, deserving punishment, would
therefore go unpublished, and sufferers
from injustice would be denied redress.
The salary plan would impose an addi-
tional burden on the counties unless the
fees could be made to pay the salaries.
If all the justices were competent and con-
scientious the fees might be sufficient to
pay the salaries If the salaries were kept
within reasonable limits, but how many
2 fao nd
scientious? And again. as the justices
have a great deal of political influence,
how would it be possibe TO keep salaries
within reasonable limits?
Any plan for lettering the justice
courts that would tend TO keep out OF these
courts trivial quarrels and assaults would
be a great benefit to that class of people
whose first thought is to take out war
rant for those against whom they happen
to have a little grievance. but it is doubt
full if the salary plan would be satisfactory
10 either the justices or the public. The
justices who do the bulk of the business
of the justice courts would object to 1t.
because under 1t, they would not receive
al much as they do now, and the people
would object to 1t because of the extra
burden it would place on county treasu-
ries. Some means, however ought TO be
adopted to correct the very grave abuses
which exist in the justice courts. and
it is not improbable that the legislature,
at its next session, will in response to
public sentiment, give the subject careful
consideration.