The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-06-08
What the People Think
Comment on the County Court
Proposition by a Farmer
Editor Daily Item:

lcolumns an article from lawyer
nointine out the advantages Of the
proposed county court, also an editor
ial by yourself opposing It. we
thought the matter would doubtless
be dropped, but it seems that there is
no such good luck, for we notice in
your columns that the Sumter Bar AS
sociation has appointed committee
to boost the proposition. which OF
course mas but one meaning. MOST
people are in debt to some extent at
least and there are very few that
cannot be cramped; consequently
some who can be Influenced, will be
coaXed over. others will be threatened
by being told that the court is going
to be established any way and that
| if they vote for it they will get stay
on their accounts, but if they vote
! against il, they will be pushed for set
1lement, others will be forced by hav-
ing their credit threatened, 50 it is
reasonable certainty that it will pass.
We have no fight against the sum
ter Ear Association, as whole, for
some Of it's members are our most
accommodating citizens, but the
trouble is, that there are some law
yers who will do anything under the
sun, or above il either, ii they could
get there for the almighty dollar, and
that is the only class OF people who
will be benefited at all by the pro-
posed court. They, Of course. Will
have all of their cases railroaded
through, get their fee, and appeal for
a new trial, if it goes against them, or
if it goes their way, the other fellow
will have to appeal. In either case,
more fees, until the lawyers will have
the case in the end and the clients
will have the experience. and it is an
old saying that experience teaches
dear school, fools learn in no other.
The great trouble With experience,
however, is that she seldom teaches
a lesson in tine to do the pupil any
good.
We are hearing a great deal now
about the interests of the dear" tax
payers 1t is difficult to see where
their interests come in on this case.
We are told Of course that the court
will be run at about half Of the cost
of the regular court, probably so. we
don't doubt that, but how will it cost
the taxpayers any less. when it will
be run continuously and Will be an
everlasting expense. with no end to 1t,
ora 1-oor tO anOtharp
The argument is that it will clear
the docket. possibly it will clear the
present docket, but how long will the
docket be cleared. The fact is that
there are any number Of cases on
the present docket that ought not to
be there, and instead Of clearing the
docket, more will be added faster
than they can be tried.
The original. intention Of courts
seems to have been entirely lost slght
Of Courts are to try cases between
parties where there is some gooo
grounds of contention as to right or
wrong. and when people have real
case that needs trying, the taxpayers
owe it as a duty TO provide court,
in which such cases can be settled,
but there should be some way OF
straining out the thousand and one
things that people have gotten into
the habit Of dragging into the courts
where there is little or nothing m
volved. The criminal court is BAD
enough, but the grand jury offers
some relief there. but the court OF
common pleas has no screen at an.
Just ANYBODY who imaglnes that ne
can get up a case against another per-
son, can go TO one of the mooefh
Shylocks, and get case Starleo.
Then, Of course, the other party mas
TO get a lawyer too, and the result IS
that self-respecting lawyers are often
dragged into cases that they are
ashamed Of, and the dear taxpayers
have the bill to foot for aIcase 1hai
there is nothing in except tees lor
the lawyers, and a community laiiihs
out. Not infrequently we read Oh
murder, the result Of an Old faiiihS
out over q case in court, thus 'He
court is made into an institution 10
engeader and further the cause Oh
wrong instead or belnS, dS It's io'iio
implies, a court Of justice.
It is, Of course, the duty OF taXpaS-
ers to provide court, but theei /"
another side 70 that. 1t is the dutv oi
the people wanting cases tried 10 Try
them when they are called by lhi'
we mean, have the evidence ready 10
give TO the jury. and not nave 80
much everlasting delays. and qu1ppleS
over nothings When case IS called
| it is usually put OF on some eAcuse'
then the next time it is called there -
another excuse Certainly the way
cases are put off does not look nlueh
like any one is in a hurry for them
TO be tried. Then again. nave 'he
Jury no rights? Under the pFesent
system, the jurors are summoned anu
no excuse is accepted, except extreme
! illness. and any juror who mas at:S
business at a: serves at nnah'ia'
loss TO himself. He is ut the same
time a taxpayer to some extent 50 i'e
! ends he game.