The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-01-19

States court than we have now, the de-
partment of justice concluded that we
ought to have more to do in the United
States court of this state and recon-
mended congress to add to this district
the entire criminal jurisdiction over al
most all of the Indian Territory. This
Jurisdiction we retained practically up to
1892. During this period the state con-
tanned the largest population we ever had.
Most of the time the jurisdictional amount
in the federal court was $500. We had the
criminal jurisdiction over most of the In
dian Territory, yet one court transacted
this business and it did not occupy to ex-
coed three months of the year.
In 1887 the jurisdiction of the federal
court was limited to 5000, and then in
only certain kinds Of cases, so that the
civil business in this district fell off more
that so per cent. In 1890 Indian Terri
tory was taken awy from this district,
leaving only a nominal amount of crimi-
nal business. The public lands of our
state have all been settled up, and there
are no more controversies about public
lands. Our state is not adapted to the
successful operation of Illicit distilleries
and frauds upon the revenue department
have disappeared, as crimes of this kind
are confined to mountainous and timber
countries. Our postofices are never burg
Iarized because of the same reason. Our
state has as small criminal docket as
any state in the Union
since the act of 1887. limiting the juris-
diction in civil cases in federal courts, and
the act of 1880, taking away the jurisdic-
ton over the Indian Territory, there has
positively not been enough work in this
district to keep the officers in good health
The number of revenue cases in this dis
trfct per annum would probably not ex-
coed twenty Take this class of crimes
in a mountainous or timber country and
they would exceed three hundred. 1t is
a notorious fact that if the United States
marshaTs office, during the last five or
six years preceding the salary BILL had
not received the benefit of mileage while
riding on a railroad pass, the office would
not have been worth enough money to
pay the stationery bill, so light was the
business.
zone court can do all the business in
this district during the year in four or
five weeks In addition to this, congress
has created term of court at Wichita
and ones at Fort Scott, so that the peo-
pie in that part of the country can have
Just the same advantage of a court near
their homes as they could if a new dis
trict was created. I think the criminal
and civil docket in this state is smaller
now than it has been since 1870. In adj
dition to that the people have better IA
cflities to attend court by reason of the
terms of court being distributed through
the state, and by reason Of there being
more railroads and cheaper travel than
there were some years ago
Judge Foster has now regained his
health and is able to attend to all the
business that comes before him. If there
were two districts in this state, and two
district judges, neither would have to ex-
coed two weeks work during the
year. There is no necessity on earth for
il I have not seen a statement from
anyone yet advocating the creation of
new district on the ground that it was
necessary, and the only reason that have
thus far seen given for an additional dis
trict was to make additional Offices to be
filled In my opinion this not sufficient
to entitle it to a favorable consideration
by congress-.