Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 24.pdf/578

 The Editor's Bag what, gentlemen? — why, to the mere watch of a dog!'"

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With their superabundance of time country lawyers fairly revel in working out fine technical points of law which country judges enjoy to mull over, while SUPREME COURT DISTRICTS IN the friends and adherents of contesting ILLINOIS attorneys enjoy the display of wit and IN many ways the faults of the legal acumen of their champions. In the city conditions are reversed. judicial system of Illinois lie at The enormous rents, combined with the the door of the legislature. One of the fundamental causes of high cost of necessities, compel lawyers the failure of the courts to respond to to transact an enormous amount of liti the need of the people as a whole comes gation to obtain an income sufficient to from the failure of the legislature to maintain the position which their pro reapportion the Supreme Court dis fession demands of them. The best citizen looks upon jury ser tricts in accordance with the population vice as an affliction. Indeed, it is a of the state. The constitution provides that the serious burden upon all business men, Supreme Court districts shall be ap professional men, and higher wage portioned "upon the rule of equality earners. Litigation is heavy in the cen of population as nearly as county bounds ters of population, and crowds on the will allow." In spite of this mandate courts, which are unable to dispose of the legislature has failed to reapportion it as it comes. Trial judges in Cook County, while Supreme Court districts at any time since the constitution was adopted. As they average high in citizenship, do not a result, one-half the population of the occupy a professional, social, and politi state is crowded into a single district, cal position proportionate to that of the while the other half of the population country judges. They tend to weaken before powerful clients or political attor is represented by six judges. It is not charged that this rotten neys, and to defer their legal judgment borough system of apportioning Supreme to the great metropolitan lawyers who Court districts has been used by Supreme appear before them. The character of litigation and liti judges intentionally to oppress. The fact remains, however, that judges of gants and of circumstances surrounding the Supreme Court are men. That lawsuits and practice of law is prac they are eminent men in their locali tically different from what pertains in ties, does not endow them with com the six country Supreme Court districts. Yet appeals from this mass of litiga prehension to grasp conditions entirely outside of their experience. Even the tions are taken to a tribunal six-sevenths best country lawyers have very small of which have no instinctive knowledge practice as compared by city standards. or adequate comprehension of the con Country trial judges have few cases and ditions on which they pass. ample time to try them. Country The great principles of the common jurors are glad to serve in the winter, law can be made to fit differing condi and the better class of countrymen in tions, and where they are sympatheti the winter gladly spend long weeks at cally and intelligently applied bring the county seat at public expense, and generally good results. But it is impos earning a daily wage. sible for any six men to apply these