Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1900-01-04
WALHALIiA, $. g..
THURSDAY, JAN. 4, 1900.
Ba,rators and ShyStCrS.

Gov. Gambler, of Georgia, in /;
message to the Legislature, recon,
monding Legislation looking to tn,
protection of weak financial con.
Germs, which arc forced in court b,
n certain class of lawyers, took oc,
casion to score "barrators and shy
sters," whose methods he declared
had "brought unnecessary ruin upon
many railroads, factories and mcr,
camille corporations" The grand
jury Of Fulton county (Atlanta) re-
Gently made set OF prcscntrlcnt>
in the matter and asked that law
be enacted compelling persons to
give a bond, payable to defendant,
in cases where injunctions Tor re,
ceivcrs arc filed and the suit proves
unsuccessful
In transmitting these findings to
the Legislature Governor Gambler
said among other things
"Barratry is a growing c> il and has
within the last two decades a :sumrd
proportions which are alarming and
threatening to legitimate business
enterprise. Men licensed to practice
law and their paid agents and coad-
tutors have in many instances
brought unnecessary ruin upon rail
roads, factories, mercantile corporal
tions, firms and individuals, and ut
the same time brought rcproach upon
the honorable profession OF the law.
Honest, safe business men and cor
porations doing legitimate business,
but temporarily embarrassed iinan-
cially are often forced by conscience
less barratorS and ShyStcrS into the
hands Of receivers and are rur.l,
when, if let alone, they could rNtri-
cate themselves, pay all honest debts
and live in comfort.
"lt is true, too, that when corpora
tiOnS and individuals are wrecked ~
the ncfariOus methods Of these enc
mics Of society anu OF tn" business
OF the country the creditor usually
suffers with the debtor. He most
frequently at the end Of the litigation
gets nothing, while the debtor and
his children are reduced TO rrnury,
the entire estate being consumed in
court costs, receivers Sal"":, IS An,.
lawyers fc;.. The court costs are,
fixed by statute, but the salaries OF
receivers, sometimes two or three in
number when one would hr better,
and the fees Of the LAWYERS, fire.
qucntly score or more in single
case, are fixed by the court on the
testimony Of other lawyers rs to the
value OF the services performed in
the case By their professional hrrth-
ren.
"Fhc result has been that rNurbi-
tant salaries have been allowed to
receivers and often fees out OF all
proportions to the work lrnr have
been allowed to til" lawyers repre-
scntlng the various interests in
v"lvcd in the suit.
These evils have assumed such
magnitude that they demand a
rcmcdy."
The bill providing for the rriunl-
ing OF money received from the sale
Of "scizcd and abandunrd' cotton
during the war OF secession is now
fairly before Congress. 1t should
receive the support not only OF every
Southern Congressman, but OF every
Governor and Of commercial bodies
Of the various cities. Friends and
correspondents in (hr North should
also be requested to use their imilu-
cncc in favor Of the bill. The fund
Of about 81 ,OOu,UuU, now in the
treasury, represents an honest debit
OF the government to the owners and
heirs Of owners Of cotton, and there
is no tcnablc reason why it should
not be paid. Gov. McSwr"ncy H#d
the South Carolina congressman are
doing all they can I" pr"m"t" this
just measure.