The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-27

In an address issued to the voters Of this state yesterday Walker Percy round- ly takes to task Walter K. McAdory sheriff of Jefferson county. for employing men to swear out warrants for the arrest of their neighbors.
 The address of MT. Percy who is deep ly interested in rldding this county of the lniquitous fee system asks the following questions
 q ask the people of Jefferson county and the state of Alabama what is their opinion of this system adopted by the sheriff of Jefferson county?
 What is probably the character of a man not a public official who will under take to make his living by swearing out warrants for the arrest of his neighbors for trivial misdemeanors at a dollar per swear?
 "ls the sheriff of Jefferson county con- servator of the peace or a prosecutor of the poor?
 ''Is bribe to be offered. reward to be paid for the instigation of frivolous prose- euions?" MT. Percys address follows.
 T have discussed in a general way ard  tenn as it prevails in Jefferson county in connection with the proposed constitutions al amendment. I have sought to avoid personalities and criticism of indivduol officials because the shortcomings of par ticular officials are insignificant in com parson with the iniquities of the system; because particular officials, in the ordi- nary course of events. only hold office for few years but the system, unless changed now. will endure for decadeg; because no man.. however good, is going to conduct the office of sheriff of Jeffer- son county properly until he is put upon salary, and because personally l would like to avoid the acrimony and unsriend- liness incident to personal criticism. And yet a practice adopted by Walter Me Adory the present sheriff of Jefferson county. so plainly Illustrates the evil endencies of the fee system in this coun- ty, and seems to me to be so improper and so deserving of condemnation that l feel 1t should be called to the attention of the voters of the county and state in connection with the pending campaign:
 Recent Case Cited
 "Tn a recent trial in the criminal court of Jefferson county. appears from the columns of one Of our daily papers, the defendant, a small storekeeper. was a.
 
 Sunday law There was evidence to the effect that two white men went to de- fendants restaurant and purchased can of salmon. That on the following day they went to the court of common pleas and swore out warrant against defend- ant and a number of other small store keepers That as soon as the warrants were sworn out they were paid sl for each warrant by the sherifs office. one of the witnesses swearing out these warrants, on cross-examination by MT. McCrossin, stating that he had been paid sl for each warrant and that he had an agreement to that effect with the deputy. Judge Cahalan in rendering his decision. stated that the evidence was insufficient to sus- tain the charge. and as q mark of his dis approval of this practice of the sheriff s office. taxed the person swearing out the warrants with the costs.
 q ask Walter K McAdory. sheriff of Jefferson county. to make public state rnent of the number of men with whom he has made agreements such as the one testified to in the Dawkins case. ] ask him to make public statement Of the names and residences of the men with whom he has such agreements, and l ask the people of Jefferson county and of the state of Alabama what is their opinion of this system adopted by the sheriff of