The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1875-05-19
TROUBLE IN RAptDES.


The law does not seem to be very we'll
enforced in Rapides parish, just now, If
the report ofan unpublished violation OF
it. and wanton outrages on its officers be.
true. It seems that Monday, May 3,
man named Joseph Texada met Judge
Orsborn entering the district courthouse
to open the term, struck him in the face
and knocked his hat off. Although a
number ofpersons must have been pres
ent at such an hour, Texada was allowed
to mount his horse and ride away. Why
he was not arrested, or, if he resisted,
shot, does not appear. On his route he
met the recorder of the parish and tried
to ride over him. This failing, he dis
mounted and beat the recorder with a
bludgeon. This second feat was prob
ably seen by fewer persons. The sher-
If was there, however. and did-noth-
ing. The deputy postmaster of Alex
andria was there too, for ,Texada is
stated to have flonrished his revolver III
his face. Nobody did anything, and
Texada is now free to boast of his ex-
ploits in the midst of some admlrlng
community.
It does not mend the matter that Tex
ada was considered a desperate man;
had been in many disreputable ARRAYS;
was such character that his brother
had once shot him, or that he had been
White Lacquer. He ought to have
been checked all the sooner. A Repnb-
lican who insdlted Republican judge
would certainly have been punished
instanter, and sosshould he.
= mi n.
ton, but of his escape, was another
outrage. Robert Wilmington met the
recorder soon after he was beaten, drew
his revolver. and shot at him, remark
ing, so It is said, "the Republicans are
walking the streets too boldly; the
times must be made hot for them again !;
they must be made to look out tor
snakes"
Wilmington was evidently mistaken,
for no one did anything to him for his
offense. Complaint is made that this
proves compromise has not produced
quiet, but lawlcssness, as both of these
culprits are under indictment in, the
Grant parish case and were noted White
Leaguers. This Is a wrong way to look
at such ofienses. There is nothing p0-
litical about them. They were open,
unprovoked and contemptuous viola
tons of law. aud nothing else. If the
first offese had been promptly corrected,
none of the others would have followed.
just so long as they are unpublished
they will be repeated. .s-i& Nd
The result Of compromise may be adj
vantageous or Injurious, but in either
case such characters as Texada and
Wilmington are not affected by it.
The political situation is quiet, but
there are always irregular soldiers in a
political party who think it necessary
for them to keep up their political pres
tige by acts of violence. They gene
rally commit these acts after the main
question has been decided, and Of
cours. select some mild hammered man
Of the opposite party. There is only
one way to convince them that they are
wrong, and that is to punish them.
The law may be slow, but it contains
an excellent maxim for it's oyh protec-.
ton, and that is, when one, in the COM
mission of a crime, resists an arrest, he
becomes an outlaw, and, while he re-
rists, is beyond its protection. These
two men committed several acts, any
one of which authorized any bystander
to arrest them. If they resisted. at the
time of the act, they would be in the
same position as one who unlawfully
resists Il warrant. But the fault was in
the bystanders, the judge, the record
err, the sheriff and the postmaster. In
stead of "walking the streets too bold
ly" they all appear to have been very
much afraid of one man. If one despe-
RADIO can so awe community, they had
better get rid Of him, legally, very
soon, or he will get rid of all of them.
IN. o. Republican.