The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-02-07
THE JUDGES SUITS.

The course taken by the district judges Of
| New Orleans, In taking out iniunctions
against the Auditor and Treasurer In order to
secure the face value of their warrants, has
provoked great deal Of disagreeabie and
even bitter comment. 1t is manifestly unjust
and unreasonable to say that these gentlemen
are debarred by reason Of their official posi-
tions, from resorting to the courts for the en-
forcement of their just claims and the de-
termination Of their status among the cred
itors of the State. Yet 1t Is very greatly
to be regretted that these officials Alone
of all the constitutional officers of the
State, In spite of their delicate positions,
should have mutually resorted to such
measures of relief. In saying this much
we have merely adopted the tone of popular
comment.
Perhaps more legitimate subject of criti-
cism would be the embarrassment to all
the other departments OF government
resulting from these proceedings. Probably
these judges have not calculated the
consequences of their course. There Is not
an appropriation made by the Legislature,
for whatever purpose, that is not tied up by
these sweeping iniunctions The Charity
4
asylums for the insane, the deaf and dumb
and blind for the Board of Health and all
other sanitary institutions for which the State
was obliged to make provision, are rendered
entirely valueless and unavailable.
The charities OF the State are already
meagre and insufficient indeed, and further
curtailment OF them would involve great deal
OF suffering to the helpless people who are
absolutely dependent upon government aims
for the coarse food they eat and the rags that
hide their nakedness That these poor un-
happy creatures should be made to suffer
through the inconslderate eagerness of the
judges of our courts who, by reason of their
position, are looked up to by the community
as models of propriety and dignity, would
be melancholy circumstance indeed, and
one that would not be calculated to shed
lustre upon the judiciary of this city. Ger
tainly these gentlemen have overlooked the
inevitable consequences of their action. We
suggest that they consider these evils before
going further in their proceedings to secure
their salaries.
| This Is one side OF the case, and 1t Is the
most pitiful; but there Is another which COM
mends itself at least to our sense Of Justice.
The State Is in depIorable state financially
and utterly unable to pay even her current
expenses. There are any number of persons
to whom she owes debts, for labor, for money
loaned, for all sorts of considerations who
are just as honest and deserving creditors as
any constitutional officer In her service
There Is no equitable reason, even il
there be legal one, why this
class of creditors should be Disseminated
against in favor of men to whom the State
furnishes, at least, a continuous and bounti-
full living.
Take, for example, the employees of
the General Assembly, the clerks sergeants-
alarms, pages, etc. all of whom need the
small sums they have earned, and to which
they are honestly entitled. In these times OF
universal distress, these necessary disburse-
ments consequent on the meeting OF the
Legislature are q God send to many poor
and deserving man, and the relief afford
ed by the distribution of the half of
the Legislative contingent fund-this year
amounting In all to $55.000-is almost
| incalculable. The perpetuation of these in
functions to the prejudice of the holders of
legislative vouchers would work great and
widespread hardship among very deserving
class of public servitors. This is however,
but one instance among thousand of distress
and embarrassment that must result from
these proceedings. Every department of the
administration Is involved, and the operations
Of the government embarrassed at every STEP
This is all wrong, and entirely unworthy OF
the officials who have caused 1t, and we trust
most sincerely that they will reconsider their
action.