New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-09-02
Communicated. |
Communicated,
Have the Friendiess Poor no RiRhts Which
the Police Are bound to Respect

Have the Friendiess Poor no RiRhts Which
the Police Are Bound to Respecie
EDITOR REPUBLICANS:
In the Pieayune of yesterday it is stated:
On SATURDAY. night the police made a
descent upon various bagnios and arrested
scores of the depraved inmates. Women
were also seized while walking upon the
streets, but in some instances the over.zeal
of the metropolitans led them into error.
Several women of respectability were ar
rested and incarcerated in the precinct
stations, the mistake not being discovered
until an investigation was made. Out of
this complication some atfdavits for false
imprisonment have resulted.
Again it is stated:
The sixty four nymphs who were ar
rested in the first precinct, charged with
violating articles 52S and GAL of the re-
vised city ordinances, were arraigned before
Judge Evans this morning. All those
pl, a ling guilty were fined g or ten days;
those pleading not guilty, $40 or ten days.
The arrests we're made in several pre-
cincts, and numbered 1876. Most of them
were made on Saturday night; this insured
their Imprisonment Until Monday The
continued. and particularly on the streets
through which the cars rass, and his secre.
tary adds:
While landlords and their agents. claim
ing TO be respectable, continue to let their
houses to p-s who are VIGOROUSLY vile,
the best energies of the police will be taxed
to control them.
Probably 80 humiliating an exhibit of
oppression under color of law: such disre-
gard of the rights of citizens, and such
mOckery in the administration of justice,
were never before made to an intelligent
community. 1t does not appear that in.
quiry was made by the agistrate as to the
guilt or innocence of these 1876 people.
Where, then, is his authority to fine or to
send them to prison to be fed at the expense
of an overtaxed community Ii the mere
fact of arrest is evidence of guilt. whence
the necessity of q sslaried magistrate, or
the taroe upon Justice of such hearing as
Swallowed! Tue poor privilege of denying
guilt, when called on to plead is exercised
under a penalty double that imposed on
those who admit their guilt. 1t is as much
the duty of the j ldge to protect the inno-
cent as to punish the guilty, and the human
iry of the law requires that he should be
the counsel of prisoners who are too poor
to employ one.
What compensation ia to be made to the
'several women of responsibility" who
were arrested and incarcerated! OF course
none need be expected to be made to the
friendless unfortunates who have been ar
rested and dragged from their poverty
stricken homes without warrant, and con.
victed and sentenced without trial. Yet
their rights are as sacred in the eye of
law. We shed tears for the distress of
the far Oft heather, and organize 80
cietiss for the prevention of brutality to
dumb animals, but, although there are
doubtless many hearts that bleed for the
unutterable wretahedness of these miser-
able women, none have the moral courage
to give expression to their sympathy.
Christianity calls for some interference on
their. behalf They were certainly guilty of
living on streets through which. the cars
run, and the landlords, "claiming to be
respectable participated. in the offense by
renting the houses. Some were certainly
guilty of walking on those streets, and
several women Of respectabilty" nartici-
pated in that offense, and were arrested and
imprisoned with them. Public interest de-
mands that these matters be investigated.
Let the grand. jury inquire who have been
the parties most guilty of violations of the
laws.
Ii these things are to be tolerated, do
away with the boasted constitutional
amendments, and let other classes OF citi-
zens, unbiased by wealth, look to it that
their rights, under changed conditions, are
not in danger of being as ruthlessly trod-
den out CITIZEN.