The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-01-06
THURSDAY, JANUARY s 1916.
Judge Fowler's Narrow Vision.

Judge Chester A. Fowler who pre-
sides over the Circuit Court up Fond
du Lac way and who sometimes comes
to Kenosha to preside through court
esy in the Circuit Court here, may be
an upright Judge and learned in the
ways of the law, but he can never be
accused Of excepting his ear to the
ground" if he was properly quoted
as to his remarks at the recent meet
ing of the circuit judges at Madison.
Judge Fowler, to use the language Of
the street, took shot at the Munich
pal Courts. He went further, he urged
legislation which would give circuit
judges greater jurisdiction over these
courts. He asserted among other
things, that in most cases the Munich
pal Courts were sort of burden 4
to the taxpayers. 1t may be that
Judge Fowler has been misquoted.
We hope that this is true, but the
published version Of his speech has not
set well on attorneys and others in
Kenosha who have occasion to be in
terested in the courts.
Among other suggestions was that
the circuit judges have power to parcel
put certain t'minor' cases to the
Municipal Courts. Minor" cases
may be discussed by the laity, but it
had been our understanding of the ju-
dietary that it had to do with the dis
pensation of justice There is just as
much justice sought in case where
there is twenty-five dollars at issue as
where there is $4,000 at issue. 1t may
be that it is encroaching little to
insist that the minds Of learned judges
of the circuit bench be troubled and
their brows furroWed with care to de-
eide who is to have twenty five dol
lars. On the other hand it is probable
that while the circuit judge is attempt
ing to hand out justice in just such a
case as this the judge in the Municipal
Court is working on question which
may effect the whole life of a man.
Superior knowledge is not necessarily
all centered in the circuit judges
There may be real chief justice sit
ting on many of the benches in the
Municipal Court. All he needs is a
chance and possibly he could get it
by trying some of the ''minor"
cases. The Judiciary is inclined to
take itself little seriously. Under
the present Wisconsin law the judicial
office is good deal of political Of
( fee We wish that this system might
be changed. Judges should be placed
on the beach pending good behavior
and not pending political preference.
But this is outside of the question at
issue. Most people who have studied
and studied closely the working of
Municipal Courts in this section of the
state believe that they are fulfilling
just as great a function as the Circuit
Courts. More than that, they are be-
coming the courts Of the common peo
pie and the courts where justice is adj
ministered with dispatch. To place
them under the jurisdiction of the de-
lays of the Circuit Courts would prove
a real hardship to many people. AS to
the suggestion that such courts are a
burden to the taxpayers, this should
bring g real smile to the faces of peo-
pie in this section of the state.
Kenosha county has good courts all
of them, and if any burden is laid on
the taxpayers by their operation it can
not be properly charged to the NUM-
cipal Court. Here as in Racine county
the Municipal Court is self sustaining
more than that it is an actual Garner
of profits to the county. Judge Fow-
Ter either was misquoted--and he has
made no denial of the published state
ments-or he rendered a decision with
out waiting for the briefs to be served
on him. In either case his address has
done an injustice to number of ex-
cellent courts of justice.