The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-20
SUTTON REPLIES ID
 JUDGE FERGUSON
Says Judges Should Get Together and Adopt Some
 Business Methods

To the Editor of The Age-Herald: And now comes Judge Ferguson and
 announces new and novel view of the situation as to crime in Jefferson coun- ty. The people have the "glooms" and are pessimistic-the principal cause of which is climatic, due to the disagree 1 able weather The Age-Herald is a lit | tie shy and refers to the alleged prev alence of crime. What is the matter with | the public, anyhow? Is it only pessimism, | the glooms or hysteria? Are Judges Lane and Ferguson the only ones who are | able to maintain their equipoise? Judge Ferguson argues the situation not as bad
 as it appears because it has been this way a long time, and refers to the strong language of Judge Stone in an opinion
 rendered in the 1877 when he referred to the woeful condition existing and used
 the phrase carnival of crime.' Judge
 Ferguson says this woeful condition has prevailed ever since and has become ''in- tensified' and by some trick of logic ar
 rives at the conclusion that for this req son the outlook is more hopeful. The
 judge has discovered some new method of prognosis. In other words, the dis ease has become chronic and greatly az gravated and, therefore, looks more
 hopeful.
 1 wonder if anyone stigmatized Judge Stone as a calamity howler'' or pessi- mist? Really, the company of calamity howlers' is growing quite respectable and threatens to assume the proportions of
 majority, and then may undertake to do something radical in bringing about a change. The fact that conditions have been rotten since 1877 does not make the odor any less offensive in 1912. Judge Ferguson eXonerates the people of blame. He says they are neither bad hearted nor natggally lawless. We are inclined to agroek with the judge in this view. The citizenry of Jefferson county compare fayorably with any other county in Ala bama They are not only good hearted
 and law abiding naturally, but are long
 suffering, else they would have revolted
 long since at the intolerable conditions prevailing at the courthouse, much to
 their financial loss. Then who is to blame?
 If the system of criminal procedure, who
 has developed it? The legislature under
 the guidance of the bar.
 If delay in court procedure. who has
 controlled the practice in this county?
 The judiciary.
 Anyone having had any experience with
 the courts cannot but have been inn pressed with the almost interminable way with which causes drag their weary
 length through court. The most frivolous excuses are sufficient to avoid jury duty and the equally frivolous showings which suffice to secure a continuance. Undoubt edly many changes are needed, as Judge
 Ferguson suggests, but this is a long way off-perhaps.
 A change for the better can be wrought at once if the judges of this county will get together and formulate business methods in the courts of the county. But
 in the meantime let us all recognize the fact that "a condition and not theory <onfronts us" Stop trying to shift respon- sibility to others, eliminate politics and try to remove the stigma of lawlessness from Jefferson county.
 F. B. SUTTON. M. D.
 Birmingham, February 19, 1912.