The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1905-02-10
ANOTHER DISTRICT.
From a Tax Payers and Farmers
Standpoint.

&
to the conclusion that no farmer Of
any other tax payer, should vote
for q special law court al
| Obion. The only argument / have
heard IN favor of the court is for
the convenience Of a part Of the
citizens of the lower part of the
county and because Union City had
a special court in former years, and
Obion should have a special cour,
now
In reply to the above / don't
think court is established as a
convenience; | consider any court
a necessary evil; 1t never makes
men any better, but it keeps men
from doing worse.
The less court and the less law
yers we have the better it is for the
general public As a rule, men
who have suits IN court from one
time to another are not considered
the best citizens. Our best citizens
have little or no business in circuit
court.
In regard to the special court
which had been established in the
late sixties or early seventies, |
think it was a mistake of the Legis-
lature to establish the court at that
time or any time since. ! am one
of the old-timed, and can give my
reasons why | say it was a great
mistake.
Before the establishment of this
special court we had three good old
lawyers in Union City c. N. Gibbs,
w. B Gibbs and Capt. Dave Bell.
These three good old lawyers de-
Tended all the citizens in the upper
part of the county in their rights
and wrongs; in Troy there were
three lawyers of great reputation,
Major James Smith, Judge Cochran
and Major Enloe. These six law
yers constituted the bar Of Obion
county; but as soon as the special
court at Union City was establish
ed there drifted lot of young law
yers to Union City. The new ele-
ment consisted of Chas. Ford,
Henry Bently, Nath. Edwards,
James Brooks, Peter Mills. Lucius
Cardwell, and | don't know how
many more.
The little streets were full of
10x14 signs of new lawyers, and in
less than two years after the court
had been esta blished we had more
lawsuits in this district in twelve
months than we had in the five
years before its establishment.
Our taxes had to be raised from
year to year on account of more
court, and say the more court you
have the more suits you have and
the more taxes you will have to
pay to carry on this extra unneces-
sary expense.
Uncle Billy Wilson, of Obion, is
the originator and main promoter
Of this newly proposed court.
Numbers of the best citizens and
large taxpayers near Obion, Glass
and Elbridge are bitterly opposed
to the establishing of this special
court at Obion. | am informed by
reliable sources that the petition
presented to the Legislature was
gotten up by Uncle Billy employing
a lot of men who were out of en-
ployment and paying them ten
cents for every name they could
get on it, / have also been inform
ed that there were names of men
on the petition who are dead and
others who have never been born.
The first time / recollect hearing
the name of Uncle Billy Wilson
was in connection with a lawsuit.
He has the reputation of having
more suits before the court than
any other man in the county. |
honestly believe if every citizen of
the county would have as manyj
lawsuits as Uncle Billy we would
need as many courthouses as we
have shoolhouses. AS Uncle Billy
is getting old like great many of
us, why doesn't he change and if
comes up leave it to arbi-
tration.
Now, If Uncle Billy needs a
court for his own convenience, let Z
us persuade him to move to Union
City close to the courthouse. 1t
would cost him but little and would
not cost the taxpayers anything.
We need less court, more justice
and less expense.
Now, my farmer friends, look
over your neighborhood, take TWEEN
ty of your good neighbors and see
how many of them have had suit
n circuit court the last ten or fif-
teen years. You may or you may ;
not find one out OF one hundred /
good citizens who has had suit in
:ircuit court in the past fifteen
years. And then more than likely
ie was dragged in by some unscru-
oulous fellow. i
AS rule the best citizens have /
title business in court, and why
should we raise taxes to establish
lew courts for men who are hunt !
ng trouble and making trouble? !
Consider, if we vote in favor of :
pecial court it will be a permanent
ixture, and we would be voting
leavy tax on ourselves and orr
which cannot be lowered I
II abolished, because the costs and 3
expenses OF court will be yearly q
Z