Grainger County news. (Rutledge, Tenn.) 1917-current, 1918-04-25
"REMINISCENCES OF THE
GRANGER COUNTY COURT
Supt. c. c. Justus, Sturgis, Ky.

Supt. c. c. Justus, Sturgis, Ky.
That Squire" and Justice of the
Peace" are Fuedal terms dating
back to the 14th and 18th centuries
and carry with them varied history
and legendary stories is well known.
In the days of Knighthood the squire
was a combatant while the page was
not. That many squires voluntarily
served all their lives owing to the in
sufficiency of their fortunes to sup
port the cost and charges Of Knight
hood. In the chivalrous education, the
courses of squire and page were pas
sed thru in boyhood and youth.
Justice of the Peace, an infirior-
Magistrate appointed in England by
special commission under the great
seal to keep the peace within the
county where he was appointed. You
will see the traditional method has
obtained all along as the state under
her great seal with the signature of
the Governor yet commissions the JUS
tees of the Peace.
"The whole Christian world, said
Lord Coke, hath not like office of
Justice of the peace, if duty executed"
When | think of the manifold activi-
ties of the Granger County Court as
far back as 1883 to the close of the
decade in 1898, train of incidents
crowd upon the chambers of memory
for recognition. My earliest memories
of members of the court go farther
back when the uncle of ex-trustee
VIM. Needham was paid ten cents
for a warrent, ten for an affidavit,
and, incidently, resigned the place be-
cause he could not give crtain class
of men justice. Later on, a member,
elected somewhat by accident, when
asked what sections of the law he was
pouring out his mental powers with
ponderous force upon, replied, ~ am
readin' the duties of a notorious Re-
publican. The same man was officer
in an election when men made oath
to having paid their taxes, and he adj
uninsured it in this manner: "You
solemnly swear before me and God
you have paid your taxes for the last
present year,. This man was patron
of John Barleycorn. Another Squire
was directed by the attorneys as to
the decision; when it was over, he said,
GLOW did she go, boys" But l must
not have you infer that there were
not a good number of useful and in
telligent men all along in the court.
One period just before the decade
mentioned had that unique, method
ical Chairman, w. C. D. Willis, whose
penmanship and county settlements
are models of beuty and accuracy.
Chairman "Koon" Phillips was an up
to-the-minute business man. Squires
Enos Acuff, Elijah Mullins, Henry
Atkins, Dan Turley, ]. Helton, l..
Beeler ct al. Then follows the period
with which | am most familiar; the
court of Hamilton James, w. H. My
matt, Sam Cameron, Alb Roach, S. j.
Jones, John M. Lowe, E. P. Riddle,
Ord Yates, w. H. Manley, Arch Mitch
ell, Jack Wade and Henry Jackson.
Space forbids the mention of others
of the 80 members. G. B. Mitchell, J.
l.. Acuff, S. J. Jones and W. H. My
matt were among the chairmen of this
period. Mynatt was, perhaps, was the
mostunique of the officials; he was
a great walker. BY choice he left on
foot Sunday afternoons for Rutledge,
IL miles; he knocked the political
plums with a dexterous hand. He left
for the legislative session of 1891 on
Tuesday following the court elections.
The writer was one of the fourteen
candidates for county school superin-
tendents at this time. Then follows a
series of adventures which | shall not
inflict upon the reader (the personal
equation). look back to my part of it
with memories that seem more OF
tradegy than comedy. Yet, | feel it
happened as legency of experiences
that may have hecn worth while-God
knows the salaries were not worth re-
membering; but the court is even
fresh and interesting. The changing
politict from one quarter to another;
levy a school tax and three months
later reconsider. Too many members
in those days. We are to take another
step before many years. North Car
DINA, Virginia, Georgia and other;
have the County Commissioners; three
of the best business men at a gooo
salary do thing faster, better and with
wider vision.
How did they reconsider? Do i
by main strength, arbitrarily. HeI
Jackson had the floor: 81 move, Mr.
Chairman, that we do so and So.
Squire Jackson, the county cour
can't do that" The invincible Jack