The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1919-02-04
THE POOR MAN.

while here he called to- inform us
that he had been, recommending Us
dis a friend of the poor man, but that
he was about ready to withdraw the
Recommendation. When we inquired
the cause of this impending calamity,
we were informed that he thought
We were for lower taxes, but since
we had been advocating better pay
for the judges he had about changed
his mind. >,
We are not always for lower tax
es. We do not believe in paying
more for any services than the ser
vices are worth, and we do not be-
lieve in paying for services which we
may as well "part withal," but. when
efficiency and justice demand that
we pay more taxes, we cannot ad-
wise the people to refuse to do what
they ought by all means to do.
Besides, it is not always economy
! to pay low wages, and secure cheap
labor. We can imagine man about
to erect a dwelling. Two carpen-
ters apply for the contract, one for
four thousand dollars, and another
at three thousand. The first un-
doubtedly, knows how to build and unr
doubtedly he will construct the
house as it should be constructed.
The other carpenter is untried and
without experience, but he gives him
self a good recommendation.
The latter carpenter is employed
and after he has spent the amount
agresd to be paid him for the work,
the owner finds that while the build
ing il there, it is not finished as it
should have been. The roof may
leak, or the weather-boarding has
not been properly put on, or the
Noors are not level, or the window
frames are not placed properly, or
there is this OF the other trouble. !
# friend Roger were the owner
of the house we imagine it would
not take him long to see that he, had
saads a mistake. And by. the time
he corrects the mistakes which have
been made, we should not be sur
prised, in case Of this kind, to find
that the cheap man in the end had
proved the more expensive contrac-
tor. ~
The matter Of judges is not en-
1tirely different from the case sup
posed It frequently takes three or
four days to try case in the courts
of this state. The whole foundation
of the case is in the rulings and
charge Of the judge on the law Of
tho ease. II he correctly performs
his duty. the building is complete and
cannot be shaken. But if the case
consumes four days in the trial, and
the judge is in error in his views:
then all this work is in vain. The
county has spent some five hundred
dollars for the performance Of a
duty which is not properly perform
ed. II Mr.. Williams happens to be
the losing party, he begins to see the
expensive side of poor judges. He
must employ lawyer to go to the
supreme court. He must pay the ex-
penses Of preparing a case for that
court, and he must wait for his RENE
dy until that court by the orderly
processes Of the court can hear and
determine the issues Joined. In the
end the case is sent back for trial,
and the money which has been spent
is thrown away.
If on the other hand a Judge learn
ed in the law had tried the case, the
chances are five to one that justice
would have prevailed in the first in
stance. The judge who tries half a
dozen cases, and who is wrong in
these half dozen cases. and whose
judgment must be corrected by = the
Supreme Court, is an expensive lux
ury. 3 The twenty days consumed in
trying only FIVE cases Of this kind
has cost the people two thousand dol
3, .a... = r....-.- .... ..E. ...