The copper era., 1901-10-31

IN COMMENTING upon the report c
 the Grand Jury, as printed in full 1T
 the ERA last week, the Bulletin make:
 the following very sensible remarks;
 This would indicate disposition and
 purpose Of some of the justice courts ir
 the county to raid the county treas
 ury with but little regard to the peace
 and order of the precincts where they
 preside. The grand jury when it be
 gan to look little into the justice
 courts called on the supervisors for a
 statement of all demands allowed for fees in justice courts for the year end ing July lst last. That report showed that for the year the justices courts Ol Graham county cost more than sl3, 900 ! With this report as a basis 1t is nc
 wonder that the grand jury looked fur
 ther into the doings of our petty judic-
 iary. The sum is outrageously high.
 But the grand jury should not have
 confined its report to generalities. but should have specified the particular precincts where the trouble was to be | found, or at the least the most nagrant
 cases, so the public as well as they,
 might be informed Of who had been charging and receiving illegal fees. The Bulletin believes We have some conscientious justices in the county
 who should not be subjected to the odium of such report.
 There is one case in particular which originated from this precinct, with which the ERA is familiar, which il- lustratea the difficulties of running the justices courts on the line as suggested
 by the grand jury. A young man was arrested here about three months ago on the charge of robbery, the com blaming witness swearing positively that he saw the defendant take a Sl0 bill. The preliminary examination was held before Justice Wright and the young man was bound oyer to ap- pear before the grand jury, and not be-
 ing ablo to give bond, he was com pelled to lay in jail for three or four months, at great inconvenience to him. self and cost to the county. When the grand jury met the principal witness testified that he did not seq the defend- ant take the money, but thought he took it. The grand jury of course turned him loose. The justice was not 10 blame, neither was the board of supervisors to blame for allowing the costs in the case. This case cost the county a considerable amount of money, sheriff were certainly entitled to their fees. Perhaps the complaining wit ness should have been indicted for perjury, but that would only have ad- can be cited. As the Bulletin very well says, it would have been we'll for the grand jury to have specified the cases, or named the justices whose docket. are badly and irregularly kept" and "where excessive fees have been charged and allowed" That re- forms are needed there can be no ques- tion and where justices, constables or the county, they should be indicted by the grand jury and tried for the offence.
 The present financial condition Of the county is such a. to call for radical ClOi hIS oAi bhC liiiC, oS lO 10 dp- parent from the last statement made by County Clerk Smith that the coun- ty is rushing headlong into debt at the rate of about $l,0O0 per month. The ERA is in sympathy with any measures of reform, but like the Bulle- tin it believes that the blame should be placed where it belongs. The board of supervisors are compelled to allow all lawful demands, and are not re- sponSible for the present deplorable condition of county finances.
 In the campaign for division last winter, the ERA stated that the in debtedness of the county would con- tinue to increase until the division vas secured. The experience ot the present year has demonstrate the cor rectness Of this statement.