The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-04-05

planned of. For this declaration Mr..
Cothran received the parliamentary
maledictions Of many of his brother
lawyers in Greenville, and the Green
vile Bar Association sent a delega-
ton down to appear before the Judi
ciary committee of the house and tell
the committee that while Mr.. Cothran
was a delightful fellow he was talk
ing through his hat, or words to that
effect. Mr.. Beattie, of Greenville,
who is also lawyer and also a men,
ber of the judiciary committee, stood
with Mr.. Cothran, and they won their
fight and there is no county Court
bill for Greenville.
10 give whatever relief is needed
Mr.. Cothran introduced bill to pro-
Wde an extra term of Common Pleas
Court for Greenville in July, at a
time when it is nice and cool in the
Mountain City and any Judge in the
state will be pleased to spend two
weeks there listening TO the celebrat-
ed eioqucnce Of tile Piedmont plead
crs. 1t was getting late in the ses-
sion before this bill reached the final
STAGE, and it was possible that it
would not get through at all, but Mr..
Cothran arose one memorable day
and said he had favor to ask of
the house, saying imprcssively and
modestly that he had never asked Il
Favor Of the house before at all, even
If he had asked it to kill the dispen-
Sary and immortalize himself and Jim
Carey. That favor was to let his spe-
cial Court bill come up out of its
regular order, and to pass it forth
with. Yielding to the persuasive per-
sonality of the dispensary destroyer,
the house passed the bill and it be-
came law, so that a special term for
Greenville in July is ordered.
The regular term Of Court was held
in Greenville this week with Judge
Ernest Gary presiding and the public
prints have recorded that Judge Gary
read the Bar sharp reprimand from
the Bench because there were no
eases ready for trial, and he threaten
ed TO adjourn the Court. The excuse
Of the lawyers was that the Franklin
ease, which had been expected to take
two or three days, was compromised
and that the roster had been disar-
ranged thereby. Rosters are doubt
less very necessary and admirable
things, but the laymen find difficulty
in understanding why the Judge
should not call any case that is on
the book for trial at any time during
the term.
That, however, is not the question.
The question is if there was not en-
ongh work to keep the regular term
going, as Judge Gary intimated, why
a county court for Greenville, or
even a special term in July7
Of course all Of this may seem a
Greenville matter purely, but it is
not. Similar conditions exist in many
other counties of the state; certainly
in Richland, and have given rise to
the demand for County Courts and
for special terms, all of which cost
money, and the taxpayers have to
foot the bills. There were at least
forty or fifty eases left over from
the Sessions Court in Richland last
month, some of them very important
eases, while day after day was con-
snmcd in tryin" negroes for stealing
bicycles. True. Solicitor Thinner
man thought he was goin" to be able
to get special term for next month.
and later found out that he could not,
but that does not alter the situation
materially. The civil docket in this
county is likewise congestcd.
And in the Supreme Court 1t is
about as bad. There arc at least sew
cnty-five cases heard at The recent
November term that have not been
decided, while number remain I'M
decided from previous terms.
The Justices have been filing de-
cisions every day and these decisions
are the products Of hard work, every
one Of them requiring study and la
Dor, and there is no intention to re-
fleet upon the Court by calling at
tention to the fact that the Supreme
Court, as well as the lower courts, are
crowded. Section 16 Of Article / of
the Constitution Of South Carolina,
however, provides: "All Courts shall