The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1898-11-10
ANOTHER ARTICLE
ABOUT CITY COURT,
Col. Cheney Replies to Hon.
N. A. Morris.
FACTS, FIGURES, RECORDS
About Other City Courts I'm Other
Counties Presented for
Perusal.
FACTS, FIGURES, RECORDS

To the Citizens of Cobb County
| Col. Morris at the outset gives me
some new facts in his card of last week
about the city court.
Before my card was written, he told
me that he expected to model the bill
after the Waycross bill. From this
bill / discussed the question because of
this statement and that it is fair ex-
ample of all the city court bills. If
this did not stand the test of reason as
against our present court facilities,
then any other bill for CITY court that
he might introduce would hurt and not
help the county. Since my card APP
peared, he states in his reply "that
the plan outlined is not the plan agreed
upon by the lawyers of this bar to be
introduced, if introduced at all." lam
! glad to note from the above that he is
now seriously considering the idea of
! not introducing the bill. But where
was that meeting held at which the
lawyers of this bar agreed upon any
| bill to be introduced?
Out of about eighteen lawyers here
have talked with eleven and none of
these say they have been at any bar
meeting, or agreed upon any plan. Up
| to this good hour | have only found
four lawyers, including Mr.. Morris,
who openly advocate any city court.
If there are any who by chance have
been overlooked, I hope they will show
themselves so the people can see them
and know who they are.
Now. if only four lawyers out of
eighteen, also greatly interested in
this question, constitute quorum to
transact all business and especially to
establish city courts, then it seems to
meat SFould be al easy thing for nearly
every'law firm in the city to have a
city court of its own. But if the peo-
pie should also get the notion in their
heads to go into the court establishing
| business and it took only four to es-
tablish one, then we would have nu-
merous city courts all over our county
to meet the wants of long suffering
people
l am glad to note, fellow-citizens,
that the Waycross salary, as outlined
in my card would probably be done,
has been cut half and half. Discussion
is great reducer of salaries. Then,
again, you will note that the clerk Of
the Superior court has been taken into
kind consideration, and instead of hav-
ing brand new clerk appointed by the
Judge of this city court that has been
existing as an air castle in the fertile
imagination of four hopeful lawyers,
they actually grant to the clerk of the
| Superior court the right to act as and
| enjoy the emoluments of the clerkship
in the new court. Not only that, but
the giant figure of Tom Hntcherson
shall be permitted to stand up before
the bar of justice in this court and
talk to juries about protecting society
and the state as he now does in the
Superior court
The only thing left is the Judge, and
his salary to be paid by the county and
that cut half in two.
1t reminds me of the negro and the
catfish: The negro caught a large
catfish and then went to sleep on the
banks of the creek at night. Another
! fisherman came along in the mean time
and left small catfish and took the
large one. When Samuel awoke he
| looked at the small catfish and began
to scratch his head and said: "Dis am
either Samuel or it am not Samuel. II
it am not Samuel dat is my fish, but il
it am Samuel, Golly, how dat catfish
1 am swunk."
Col. Morris has never answered the
propositions laid down by me in the
0pening-that every saving of expense
to be had in this city court and every
facility to quickly dispose of cases
could be had as we'll or better through
the Superior courts. In all cases
where defendants are willing to waive
their constitutional right to be first
indicted by grand jury before being
put upon trial, that waiver can be
made in the Superior court better than
in the city court. In all cases where
they will waive trial by jury, that car
be done better in the Superior court
If with motion court always iopen and
with two regular terms, and the adj
journed and special terms between, the
Superior court does not sit otter
enough, then Col. Morris could intro
duce bill to create more terms of the
Superior court or provide for judg
ments on cases at the first term in
stead of the second, where the bes
interests of the country would be ad
vanced by doing SO.
| showed also how and where this
city court would increase litigation
He never answered or touched upor
that feature of the case. Many
trihing little case that the world
|, would be all the better for know
ing nothing Of, would mere b.
dragged befor the public gaze by al
!, affidavit made in hasty anger, ant
; when once in the court would neve
, get out until the fines and forfeiture
, were all settled. Our grand jurie
often ignore these trifing cases ant
the county is better off because the,
do.
, III his city court scheme was filled
with so many bountiful blessings 70