The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-02-04
A TRAVESTY ON JUSTICE
Declares School Fund is Deprived of
Much Legitimate Income.
HAS INVESTIGATED CUMBERLAND COUNTY
Believes That Many Magistrates Are Guilty For
an Outrageous State Of Affairs Upon
Which the Light of Publicity
Should be Turned.
have found an outrageous state of

Il have found an outrageous state of
affairs in Cumberland county" said SEN
ator James u. Mcneil, OF that county,
| who was in the city yesterday.
My information on the matter is that
there are many other counties III North
Carolina where there are similar coudi-
TONS he continued, and the light of
publicity should be turned upon such
pl actices which are depriving the public
schools Of the State of much legitimate
iE<ome."
Senator Mcneil had much business OF
interest to the State TO look after while
he was in the city yesterday. Among
ether things he brought in a report OF
the public school Of Cumberland While
sreaking OF the educational work in his
county he expressed himself as quoted
above.
Some time ago Senator Mcneil was APP
pointed a special representative by his
County Board of Education to ascertain
and report the amount OF money due the
, public school fund by the magisterial.
municipal and criminal courts of the
Ctunty.
He made inquiry Of each magistrate in
his county, asking that they furnish him
with a list of the fines imposed and coll
$4,000 ~ E"HbH 80 cS1t
uary LIST, 1899, TO January list. 1902. In
answer 20 his letters of inquiry he has
found in Cumberland county a condition
which he terms as outrageous, 4 con
dition which he believes will be found to
exist III many counties OF the State.
The fines imposed by the courts men
toned go to increase the public school
fund, and from the report OF twenty
che officers Mr.. Mcneil found that in
three years only $50. 20 had been collected
outside of Fayetteville. $1,000 IN Fay
etteville, a total OF 1929. 20 with only 4
few officials not reporting.
IN many of the reports sent in Mr..
Mcneil called attention to the large
number OF eases and the small amount
of the costs. One official reported three
cases. with ten cents collected, another
four eases with $500 collected. another
ten cases with y14.10 collected. Four
teen reported no collections at all. A
Magistrate Of Cross Creek township, in
which Fayetteville is located, reported
2.9S1 eases, with a collection of so. The
docket OF the mayor OF Fayetteville
| showed 271 eases, with $34b.50 collected.
Commenting on this state Of affairs
MIR. Mcneil said, 4 am heartily
ashamed to report SO deplorable an ad-
ministration in or primary courts OF
| justice. lneSe reports ltulcdte lndJ II
| is a travesty on justice, equity and law
that is being carried on, and the matter
| is so serious that the light of publicity
| should be turned en-. When this is done
/ doubt not but that other counties in
the State Will find that they are af-
flcted just as badly in their primary
courts of Justice"
The trouble is, Mr.. McNeill declares,
that The officials are paying more atten-
ton to the costs that come to them.
than to the fines which should go to
the school fund. lie does not mince WORDS
III characteriZipg such conduct. but de-
oiares that the officials in these courts
have paid no attention TO the public
welfare or to the educational needs Of
The children in their inordindte and in
~satiate greed for costs, which, in the
case Of magistrates, by a most unwise
p ovision of the law, goes into their OWE
pockets, thereby befriending the la
breakers, enriching themselves and de-
rriving the school fund OF a legitimate
and proper source of income"
Yes said the Senator earnestly.
that's true. Too often q magistrate says
TO a prisoner whom he has sentenced
Just pay ME the costs and | will re-
nit the fine 1t pays him and his depu-
ties, ard he cares nothing beyond the
getting OF his money
4 believe that that is more money LOST
to education in North Carolina by such
practices as these than is paid into our
treasury by all the liquor licenses in the
State. The fault is not alone with the
courts, but the public is 10 be blamed
for not scrutiniing these reports. and
ke eplng track Of what is going on"
publicity is the only way to stOD this
KIND OF thing. The Board Of Education
IN Cumberland wanted to get at facts.
end 1t appointed me as its special repre-
sentative 70 get facts. l got them and
re ported them just as l found them. Ia
every county OF the State some man
should be appointed who will thoroughly
investigate these matters, and when a
healthy public opinion asserts itself men
VIII be deferred from pocketing the costs
and leaving ar empty bag for the public
scnool fund"
Win the money that Justly belongs 10
Tie school fund, and which it is not get
tlng, the terms of the schools IN every
county IN the Ste tie could be made lon
Ser and Ihe schools better. Turn on the
isht is what is needed to ACCOMPLISH
this