The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1870-05-04

orr-c,,r COMMUNICATIVE Picayune comments
pron t5e cbarge of Judge Abel, Of the First District
Corrt IN the grand jury, whern Ills Honor handles
tbe State officials without gloves. Nor can it be
CHARGED that Judge Abel represents the "Eebel eI2
mont for he was Union a5 ia5t5o, or he would
mot occupy bis present position. We append the
main portion Of the Picayunes article, remarng that
We must differ from our respected contemporary Us to
it, estimate of the intelligence of the most cautious
persons referred to. Surely there is no man in the
State however disposed he may be to take favorable
views Of men, 80 utterly credolous to doubt that
the cowuptions of the Radical party in this State aud
for that matter in all the States surpasses anything OF
the kind recorded in hisory--so ingenious as to sup
pose that any bill, however just and however promo
tive Of the public veal could at any time have been
gotten through the Legislature Of this State without
bribery and corrupton-so woefuly ignorant as BOT to
know that even justice itself is bought and sold as
piece of merchandise If such there be, the inno-
cent should Immediately be put to nurse and fed on
pap
We will yet further detain the reader by calling his
attention to this sentence in the charge: salts
fed that the officers OF the State and city have by
orton, trand bargain and intrigue, robbed the State
and people of more in the last year than every thief
in the State for five years
The utter worthlessncss and unreabily of the
great Of the jurors, as they are sc5sted is
fully exposed and to this cause and the n..r that
judges are forbidden to charge sf@s on the g ance
produced in criminal case, Judge Abel, who eri-
ehce Is e&teGstg9aa acrbes the frequency OF are
E-.@g termed @monstr0us yerdct7. 1t is well that
CapE dffHfRnity should turn its attention seriously TO
gs subject and unless il be content that crime should
escape punishment in the future as it has done Tor the
most part in years past, should promptly set about
reform in system which is practically mockery and
A farce.
Judge Abel has established reputation for capacity
independence and uprightness in the discharEe Of his
duties. He is bold, straightforward magistrate, as
instance Of which extract the closing remarks Of
his charge:
Gentlemen, have already detained you too long,
but the journals Of the city earnest in del0unc
ing fraud and corruption by public officers a0d ask
why the law is not enforced against Them it is proper
10 say that with the present jury system any attempt
enforce the law against official corruption would be
but little better than farce. ! am satisfied that the
officers Of the State and city havesby extoI0n fraud,
bargain and intrigue robbed the State and people OF
more in the last year than every thief in the State for
five years. All, from the catchpole to the highest
officials Of the State and city, seem to have with few
noble exceptions, been unmlndu that the glory OF all
States consists in the integrity Of agents called public
officers, The remedy is with the people only. They
must elect officers who scorn bad faith they would
extortion, pecuation and fraud Or continue to see
their revenues absorbed, the people impoverished and
the State disgraced"
Now some cautious persons, who are given to taking
favorable views of men, and especially those filling ex
allied stations, may have been slow to believe in the
ality of the charges of official corruption in this city
and State, made by the press and the public generally
ascribed them to warm partsanshjp personal hos
tilities. What must they now think when they see
those charges endorsed by Judge Abel, conspcu
ous an OCCASION and under full sense of the response
bes attaching to his position and his utterauces.