Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-20
pIsArrnovE GOV. POINTERS VETO.

Central City Nonpareil (rep): Governor
POINTER has vetoed the bill providing for
supreme court commissioners. The supreme
court is now two years behind with the
business, even with the help of the three
commissioners, and II the commissioner
are done away with the outlook for catch
ing up is not very fattering.
Albion News trcp): Governor Poynter
has vetoed the bill which provided for the
continuance Of the supreme court commis-
sion. His objection to the law is based
on the fact that inasmuch as the proposed
amendment to the constitution increasing
the number of supreme judges had twice
failed Of adoption when submitted to the
people the people didn't want it. This is
hardly good reasoning, because it is well
known that all parties were in favor OF
the amendment and that it failed OF adop-
tion through the carelessness of the voters
in not voting either way on the amend
ment.
Minden Gazette (rep): The governor
has vetoed the supreme court commission
bill and gives as his reason for so doing
the defeat of the proposed amendment to
the constitution voted upon several years
ago increasing the number of judges. He
may be conscientious in his veto, but II
he was an attorney practicing in the court,
or If he had a personal matter CT his own
in the court, or If he was a member of the
court, he would probably realize the fact
that the court, with the assistance Of the
commission, cannot any more than dis
patch the business as fast as 1t comes in.
Governor Poynter has made a mistake.
Kearney Hub Crep): Governor Poynter's
veto message of the supreme court COM
missioner bill begs the question to a con-
siderable extent and where 1t does not his
conclusions are based on bare presumption.
II there is anything Objectionable in the
commissioner law 1t can be eliminated.
But one thing is certain, namely, that the
three judges of the supreme court cannot
do all of the business of the court and keep
up with the growth of it or serve the pub
lie as it ought to be served. If the legis-
lature Will agree to a constitutional con-
%vention, where these faults can be rene
died, we'll and good. If not, we will have
to put up with patchwork for the time be-
ing.
Schuyler Quill (pop.): The governor
made a serious mistake in vetoing the bill
just passed, which provided for the con-
t~inuance of the present law relative to the
appointment of a supreme court commits
sion. The volume of business carried to
the supreme court necessitates either an
increase in the number of judges or the
appointment of commissioners to assist in
dispatChing the work. Increasing the num-
Der of judges can be done only by consti-
tutional amendment. Until this is done
commissioners are needed and without them
the work of the court will gradually fall
behind until it will be years before a de-
cision can be had in ordinary cases. The
fight made on the commissioner law is a
result of the nasty political scramble for
office in Douglas county and the governor
has certainly made a mistake by dropping
into the partisan net woven for him by
his friends. Douglas county politics must
not be settled at the expense of the state.
Bancroft Blade (rep): The supreme court
commits sioner bill which passed both
branches of the Legislature was presented to
Governor Poynter on Tuesday for his ap-
proval, but was promptly vetoed. The bill
provided for the maintenance of a board OF
three commissioners to assist the supreme
court. 1t is possible that the bill will be
reconsidered by both branches of the legis-
lature and passed by a two-thirds vote ever
the governors veto. In the event that the
bill does not become a law and the supreme
court is stripped Of this nest valuable as
sistance, it will be a very bad thing for the
litigants who have business in the supreme
court. AS the court is now constituted, with
SAA ~ '1oN thA NV -, IL |
takes about three years from the time a
case is filed in the supreme court until it
is passed upon and finally adjudicated. |
whereas if half the working force of the
court is taken away it won't be very long
before it will take six years to get a case
passed upon instead of three.
York Times (rep): The supreme court
has been allowed to drop out of
existence, and the entire work of the court
as a last resort now devolves upon three
judges. The volume OF business is so great
they cannot keep up and the docket
will grow larger every day. If you burn
out and the insurance company refuses to
settle you will have to sue it, and this
often happens. No matter how Just your
claim, the company can take the case to the
court, where it will rest quietly
until its turn comes, which will not be for
years, or until the interest on the
money amounts to as much as the principal
If you are damaged or injured by a railroad
company you had better settle for what
1t Is willing to give you, for it can
keep you out of your money by getting your
case into the supreme court until you die
OF old age. If you sell anything or are
damaged by anyone and they refuse to do
the right thing you might just as we'll let
IL go, Tor you can not pull a verdict out OF
the supreme court before the waiting and
worrying have worn your life out. Some
people may think it Is smart TO create these
and others may think they are
to the people, hut reasonable men
know that the courts ought to be large
enough to do the business that deyolves
upon them promptly and correctly, or else
they are of very little use.