The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-06-15
Article That
Caused TRADE
Statement of Objections to Coun
ty Court, Prepared by w. NJ.
Seabroek, Esq, That Arous-
ed Anger of Mr.. Jennings

| of the editor of the Sumter Herald.
and printed in the last issue Of that
paper, was the provocatlon for MI
L. d. Jennings vituperative TRADE at
the county court campaign meeting
in the court house SATURDAY. II is re-
produced for the information OF the
readers Of this paper who may not
i have seen it, and who have curiosity
| to know the melting cause Of Mr..
Jennings outburst
The article in full follows:
1t seems to US that the present sys-
| tenn of the circuit courts IN rotating
! the judges from one circuit TO anoth-
er, While open TO Improvement, is
! splendid method of helping insure
impartiality by having judge preside
over people who are not directly
connected with his election. The pro-
posed county court is a dangerous de-
parture from this. 1t offers the prop
osition of a judge elected by the Very
people over whom he must preside,
having to pass on the cases Of the
dominating parties in local politics
wk:ch must necessarily influence his
' :.
CANT without political influence in
case where he is right, but where an
opposite decision can be explained
and bolstered by the many sophistries
and fictions in the law, which, on
their face sound good. but are in sub
stance wrong? Yet such cases arise
every day.
They point out Columbia and say
that did not happen there. But CO.
lumbia has been lucky in getting
good man. And so would Sumter be
at first The present material for
judge is good. But a court is not
matter of one administration or one
life, but a perpetual institution. new
broom sweeps clean; but later on
politics Will be bound to enter. They
say you can then abolish it. But you
cannot. The very dominating fac
tions that would control it would be
powerful enough to preserve it.
County courts are TO be found in
England But look at the difference.
The population Of an English county
is larger than the whole State Of
South Carolina Yet English caution
has entrusted her county judges With
a Jurisdiction of only about $4,000,
where as the proposed plan now be-
fore the voters Of Sumter county con-
templates giving a county judge juris-
diction of the majority Of the cases
that will arise-up to 100000, besides
nearly all the criminal work excepting
serious felonies. English county
judges are free of politics. They are
crown appointees, holding office for
life, and paid from about 100000
to $?.500.0O a year. whereas the
county judge now being created is to
be frequently elected, and paid So
10000.
Look at the difference even be-
tween Sumter county and Richland
county. between Sumter and Colum-
bia. There they have a large pop
ulation. sup! lemented by camp.
The unit is bigger; besides which
they are better able to support
county court. We are informed that
about the time of the erection of the
Richland county court there were
about coo cases on the common pleas
docket in Columbia. whereas now in
Sumter there are only about 154; yet
our docket is said to be SO congested
that no progress can be made in the
court business.
VIII they work any faster with an
other court than with what they now
have? They do not use the summer
term Of the common. pleas now. We
are Informed that for several ye;.rs
there have been no jury trials in the
summer. The very lawyers who are
most loudly calling for the county
court are responsible for the waste
,, of time in the present circuit court.
We are informed that in most other
counties case hardly ever takes over
a day to try on the average. Tne
Sanders vs.. Blair case here consumed
nearly a month Of our courts time
alone. considering both trials. The
Bowman VS. Hardy case took about
three weeks. all trials.
The county court viii be running
| all the time, nuisance and hard
ship TO the farmers, dragged into jury
| duty and witness service at any and
all times. Debtors Will be pressed
with mora ease, and their property
sold at time like this when people
are embarrassed by circumstances be-
yond their control.
Can we endure any added taxation.
no matter how small To the individ-
ual. at time like this with the boil
weevil coming onto us? The county
court may be considered by its ad-
vocates a small item: bat il IS the
last straw that breaks the camclS
back. Its advocates seem to overlook
the onormaus burden of til" good
roads bonds fixed on us. \ new Jail
is projected An expensive lighting
plant has been added 10 the city: ana
BOW county court. We shall. in
deed. have model county but
meantime some OF cur people viii be
starving. There ai.e already about .
600 tax executions in the hands OF the
sheriff Most people are mortSagcd.
Where Will the burden end?
Produce all the statistics YOU may
H.. II he