The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-06-10
THE STATE VS.. DIBBLE.

his recent arrest on the charge of embezzline
public funds while he was Assistant Attorney
General. Judge Dibbies defense Of himsel
Is scarcely worthy Of his reputation for in
genuity in argument and audacity of state
ments In bad or difficult cause He enters
general denial; gives us the story Of his
twelve years sojourn and charities in Louis
lana az an argument TO prove that he Is moi
u plunderer, and pleads impecuniosity against
the charge of embezzlement. After careful
perusal Of Judge Dibbles letter. we can find
nothing In IL to modify our Judgment Of bis
career, or 10 weaken our belief In his crimi-
nality.
His general denial amounts TO nothing.
There is not q man who has acted In public
life during, touse Judge Dibble's language,
"times Of almost universal corruption" who
would not enter general denial of any
charge Of corruption that might be made
against him Ii we are TO receive the assu1,-
ances of the men who for eight years have
oppressed and plundered Louisiana, we
should canonize Warmoth az q saint and hold
up Kellogg as paragon Of the loftiest po-
litical virtue; even Twitchell would be mar
tyr TO patriotism, and the fugitive Wickliffe
and admiring people. Judge Dibbles gene
raj denial then cannot avail himself He
must establish his innocence by evidence as
clear as the MONDAY sun. Even bis acqut-
tai by jury for lack Of testimony will not
clear him before the people Of Louisiana.
In his letter Judge DibbIe claims that he Is
entitled 20 DO considered innocent until he has
been proved tobeguilty. We wish that Judge
Dibbles anteoedents and associations had
been such that we and the people generally
could pursue toward him this generous poll
cy which the wisdom ol the law has adopted
In Its dealings even with the worst class of
indicators. But that Is impossible. He
has forfeited his right to this advan-
tage and placed himself before this people
III such an attitude that the weight of public
opinion is SO decidedly against him that he
must stand convicted in common estimation
until he can produce irrefutable evidence to
show his innocence When he shall have
done this he may count upon our sense Of
Justice, II not upon our generosity, to set
him right before the country.
But Judge Dibble claims exemption from
attack on the ground that he and his party
''arc defeated" Our attack upon him. he says,
is ungenerous, because he Is routed. This lisa
new theory of politics and law. We had not
heard that the defeat Of a political party ex-
empted the acts of It's officials from criticism
or attack; or its leaders and oflice-holders
from prosecution for offenses committed by
them against the law. Were this theory
adopted, the officials Of every successful party
would be under an obligation TO become the
accessories of the official criminals who might
have preceded them, and In the rapid trans
mutation ofpartics all public men would soon
become involved in general and common
guilt. This doctrine may, however be re-
garded as the legitimate offspring Of the
Radical party.
II, however, Judge Dibble means only that
we are under sentimental obligation not to
attack u defeated-a routed-enemy, he ought
10 have pointed to US some one instance at
least, in which he and his party exhibited any |
consideration for, or generosity toward, the
more than four hundred thousand white citi !
zcns of Louisiana whom they had not only |
routed, but held as il were under their feet |
with the bayonets of the Federal government |
That was the proper time for Judge Dibble |
and his associates 10 practice that generosity |
of which. now that the law has laid It's hand |
upon him, he so eloquenty breaches. We hold |
that no man belonging TO Judge Dibbles |
party has any right TO expect generous treat
ment from this people; and they may |
rest assured that we are in no tenn
per to display any toward them.
Let Judge Dibble review the political his
tory of Louisiana during the eight years in
which he was one of the ablest and most in
Al
let him figure up the amount of taxes that has |
been collected from our people, and the debt
that has been created; let him estimate the
depreciation and ruin of property and trade;
let him ponder over the results Of three cleo
tons of which he and his party 10y forgery |
and perjury robbed us; let him glance
through the statutes Of that eight years, a
disgrace TO civilization, and read those acts
outlawing citizens for non-payment of taxes, |
and the laws TO subvert justice and prolong
the power of the worst men that ever cursed
country; lot him refer to the bought and parti-
san decisions Of n Supreme Court which was
the instrument of a usurpation and always the
rosistless enemy Of the rights and interests
of the people il was its sacred duty TO protect
Let him go over all this and ask himself If
the people Of Louisiana owe generosity to
any living man associated with that era of
corruption and that history of infamy.
That Judge Dibble has lived in Louisiana
fourteen years we freely concede. But we
have never heard thatany period Of residence
in this State was calculated to strengthen
mans moral nature and render him incapable |
of corruption. Alas! We have too many no
torious instances in our midst OF men who
were born and have lived in Louisiana all
their days who have been among the foremost
to engage in the ruin Of her prosperity and
the plumber of her treasury, to attach any
inheritance to the period of Judge Dibble's
residence here as plea against the charges
Of the District Attorney.
We arc ready to as freely admit that Judge
Dibble has done acts of charity and after
eight years of office holding and association
with the Radical party he has no money. he
a hnxvfA RAGS Nr1