The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1917-02-16
MIR. RalstOn's Letter.
To the Editor of the Prince Georges |
Enouirer.-

To the Editor of the Prince Georges
Somewhere Macauley says, in SUBJ
stance, You can not Cypress a peasant
in India without making life in London
less safe"-an extreme statement of an
undoubted truth in government. APP
plying it to Maryland we may say that
you can not falsely imprison farm
laborer in Charles County without max.
ing life in Baltimore more dangerous.
You cannot refuse justice to the
,humblest people in the lowest ranks of
society without imperiling the freedom
of those most Independent in life. We
are all engaged in common undertake
ing in this State and an injury to one,
to use the old motto Of the Knights of
Labor, is the concern of all.
1t is precisely those members of our
community most needing its thoughtful
care and protection in the administra-
ton of justice who least receive it..
The courts which the poor and ignorant
and defenseless know are largely those
of Justices of the Peace. Other officials
with whom they come in contact are
deputy sheriffs and constables. We
have in the counties of Maryland a
great number of Justices of the Peace,
sometimes four to an election district.
and are we'll equipped with deputy
sheriffs and constables furnished with
titles and with power to go forth, as to
constables and deputies, to make arrests,
and, as to the Justices Of the Peace, to
commit to Jail, with little or no re-
straint' We make their pay dependent
upon the number of cases they handle
and in an incidental way upon the
number of convictions secured. The
sheriff or a deputy who is fortunate
enough. as he deems it, to conduct a
prisoner from distant part of the
country to the county Jail or to the
House of Correction and receive five or
ten dollars for so doing, greatly con-
graduates himSelf, and to this benefcent
end he often stands ready to strain
every nerve. His prime desire many
times is not to preserve order, to en-
force justice, but to secure emolument
for himself.
How many instances of abuse have
come to the ears of all of US? How
often have we learned of men. innocent
lY enough tramp;ng the road, legiti-
mately returning home, who have been
arrested as Migrants and hurried to the
House of Correction to serve for
months, their arrest and conviction hav-
ing no better reason fer being than the
few dollars divided between the Justice
of the Peace and the sheriff or con-
stable? When some crime has been
committed, how often it has been the
case that without proper grounds some
ignorant man usually colored). has
been rushed to the county seat to await
an examination which everybody must
well have known in advance could only
result in his discharge. But the sheriff
has been literally paid for the transpor
tation.
Perhaps in the early history of the
State, when trip to the capitol of the
county was a matter of days, there
might have been sufficient reason for
the creation of neighborhood justices
and the poverty of government might
have excused at least their compensa-
ton under the fee system. Today
when the average county seat can be
reached from almost any part OF the
county by automobile at least within an
hour or two, where formerly as much
time was required to travel from the
boundary of the election district of the
office of the Justice OF the Peace and
when all considerations Of economy de-
mand paid officials, there ceases TO bs
any reason for the multitude of petty
judicial officers we now have.
Baltimore City has recognized this
condition and established minor courts,
he existence Of which has practically
IA ken the enforcement of the law out
Of the hands of Justices of the Peace.
1t rests with our counties to have like
steps taken for them. Until they do
his, the administration of justice in
minor way will continue to be An ex-