The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-09-18
KEEPING THB
DOCKET CLEAN.
Common Pleas Court Docket
For This Term Has
A SMALLER LIST or CASES
Than In Former Years Only 2sS Cases on
Band-Ths Result of Several
Years Hard Work by
the Courts.

The decadence of litigation, suggested
by the falling off of the number Of cases
on the court calendar, is a question
that Is being discussed among lawyers
and court house officials
The present bar list contains 2SS cases.
The May term had few less. For
the past few years the number Of cases
has been growing less with each term,
and this fact has led to some specula-
tion as to the cause.
County Clerk, T. w. Casselman said
that a few years ago the docket con-
tanned from five to six hundred cases,
but that of late years an effort had been
made to expurge from the docket all
dead cases and carry only such as were
for trial.
when I came into Office" said Mr.
Casselman, there were one hundred or
more cases being carried that were
practically settled. These were all dis
posed of and an effort is being made to
keep all such cases off the docket"
IN FORMER YEARS.
Ex-Clerk John McGregor was asked
as to his opinion on the matter, and
stated that when he first went into the
clerks office in 1884, there were some
on the court calendar. 1.-THE dropping
off now," said he, 'is not owing SO
much to less litigation, but to the fact
that there are two judges on the bench,
while there was then only one. Then
the two judges we have now are regular
horses to bring cases to trial. In
that way the docket is kept cleaned up
and there appears to be fewer cases.
When the matter was mentioned to
Judge George E. Baldwin, he dropped
into a reminiscent mood and talked
quite Interestingly Of lawsuits and
l!tigants. He said that people were
rot so prone to go to law over little
controversies as they used to be. And
now when people do feel aggrieved and
wish to appeal to the courts for redress
or revenge-more often the latter-at-
torneys
ADVISE THEM TO SETTLE
their difference out of court, or drop
them altogether.
"And you get no thanks for It," was
suggested.
Thanks! I should say not. They not
only do not thank you for your advice,
but actually insinuate or openly charge |
that you are showing more interest in |
the other fellow than you are in them. |
let in spite Of this ingratitude that al |
most always exists, a lawyer who is |
worthy of the name will advise and |
work for a settlement when it is |
poor case, or where it can be done
without sacrificing the interests of his
client.
G3e CRANKs ON LAWSUITS.
"There are men, however, who have
a mania for lawsuits and are not hap
ny unless they have one on hand. II
they have none of their own they in
cite others to go to law. You can see
them right here in Canton. They dress
up and come to the court house the
first day Of the term and hang around |
as long as court is in session. They are
q nuisance in a community and usually
lose all they have"
The concensus Of opinion seemed to
lie that there were fewer unimportant |
suits, fewer suits for revenge, but as
much legitimate litigation as formerly. |
and there is not much danger Of law
yers of the right calibre turning their |
hands to the plow or beating their |
legal shafts into pruning hooks.