New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-10-02
ABOUT SELECTING 1unaEs.

General Grant is not great talker, as
some men are, but he says sensible things
at long intervals, and these sayings stick
to the ribs Of the people. One Of his off
hand shots was to this effect: eThe best
way to get rid of bad law is to execute
it rigidly." There is no higher wisdom
than this, and there is no way Of explain
ing to the comprehension of all the peo-
pie better than that adopted by the Presi-
dent. When men feel an evil they make
haste to soften it at once A bad law that
is left imperative upon the community
may be, and often is, used to create a
large amount of buncombe out Of but it
is seldom disturbed The labor of re-
moving such law being unprovoked by
any public clamor, the ruler whose duty
it is to repeal it leaves his wolk undone
IF the statute was enforced, it's repeal
would be promptly attended to. General
Grant expressed the entire philosophy Of
legislation in his remark about the proper
way Of ridding the community Of vicious
laws.
Perhaps if the lawyers who are preten-
tiously demanding that they shall be &C
cepted as committee to select cur judi
cial officers would study the saying of
General Grant they might not consider
themselves as acting in consistence with
its suggestions. The law provides that
the judges of our different courts shall be
selected by the people. If this enactment
is not wise one, which we do not assert,
the best way to aid in the matter is boldly
to suggest its repeal, and as an incentive
to this end, the evils of the present system
should be fully developed by being sub
mitted to the crucial test Of strict en-
forcement. That is, the people being
entitled to select their judges, and their
capacity to discharge this duty being
doubted, the best way to solve the problem
is to allow the people to prove their in
capacity by their selections When this
s done, if it ever is, the public will be
and then the lawyers can de-
nand such an alteration in the law as will
% more oonformable to the general in
,erests.
Under the suggestion of the eminent
professors who are moving to secure to
themselves the right to nominate our judi
,ial officers, the spirit of the law is VIC
ated by the removal Of the power Of Sc
Getting judges from the hands of the peo-
Die where it is lodged, to the hands Of
ew gentlemen who pretend to be better
BILE to attend to our business than we are
They challenge the law in way
hat we do not like, and which is not
and patriotic, when they
hould say at once that the system is de-
active and that they desire change from
be present mode of electing judges to
ONE plan that has given better satisfae-
on. This is our general objection to the
tempt proposed by the learned lawyers
.ho are now essaying the task Of reform
lg one department Of the government
Now we have a specific objection that
as strong as our general reason why
lis new movement should not succeed.
here is a class of lawyers in the city of
ew Orleans who hold themselves out as
professionals, counting their
early gains at from ten to fifty thousand
ollars. These gentlemen decline to fill
dicial positions themselves, because the
" is too small, but they are perfectly
illing to nominate some of their proteges
occupy the bench. This is what the
gal convention amounts to. 1t consists
prominent gentlemen who propose to
1t their friends in positions where they
ay possibly be heard with greater readi-
ISIS than their brother big wigs. 1t is
eat thing, so considered in New York,
r lawyer to have the ear of the court,
ID we have heard it whispered about in
ew Orleans that certain legal gentlemen
ere more available in certain courts
an others, because they were nearer
the judge. Some of the emf
mt gentlemen who are acting with l
3 bar in this attempt to take
e selection of the judiciary from the !
nds of the people, are above the sus-
cion of holding anything but the best
tentions in this matter, but they are pro-
eding contrary to our ideas Of what is
int, and we take this occasion to point
t wherein they are committing an error,
we believe. They are resorting to what
call q make-shift, when the
oper way is to declare their opposition
the system, demand its reform, and
en- proceed to make out their case by
owing that an elective judiciary is not
g best judiciary the community can Sc
re.
For these reasons we suggest that the d
alter Of selecting judges be left where :
g law has placed tin the hands of the .
ople. If the law is wrong, amend it.
it is not, enforce it. BY enforcing it d
shall soon be able to ascertain whether :
is right or wrong.
THE ISSUE IN LOUISIANA. V
After long and persistent efforts on the t