The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-01-05
FORFEITED BONDS.

The forfeited bond business seems TO be
Hourlshina like the green bay horse IN these
pIping anniversary times. Within the past
few DAYS the DEMOCRAT has published iist
~ some thirty cases IN which ball hohda
were declared forfeited In the United states
Circuit Court during single day g business
Some Or the persons were afralghea upon
more than one count, SO that the NUMBER OF
trials reauy amounted 10 fnfty-five or hfty
instead pF thirty. We know nothing o. the
persons or Of the offenses With which they
stand charged They figure IN the list, so Tar
&C concerns the public, simply as illustfa-
tiops of the significant prevalence OF the
nraetire Of forfeiiug bonds. The question
naturally arises IN peoples minds whether
the administration Of criminal justice is
Joke, and, II SO, whether 1t pays TO Keep up 80
expens,vn a piece of pleasantly. 1t ls com-
fnrtlna thing TO the peaceful citizen to reflect
that there are courts and codes and iegal
machinery which stand between him anu
fraud or violence. He willingly contributes
his little mite toward the general tuna
III, the maintenance Of these Impressive bar
riars and falicitates himself upon dwelling
under the protection OF organized society.
hut how must the aforesaid citizen be affected
when he witnesses this wholesale evasion OF
| Justice and Is made acquainted with the tact
| chat II II not d phenomenon but a r1ost conn
| monplace EVENT. What becomes Of his estt.
| mate of organized society when he is fofced
| I'd suspect that the barriers II interposes are
little more than attractive hctions, which
however. the persons whosG; they are theorett
eaIly directed against hold In calm odFstenpt
If Thirty individuals against whom ofimina
charges are pending can, on single day, ab
cent themselves, snap their fingers at tbs
court and virtual, set at naught the whole
fabric Of the law what are people TO think
True. the presumption liz that good and valie
security has been given and that the bonds
thus forfeited will be eEaeted by the govern
n nent. Let II even be assumed that ever,
dollar nominated In the bond be collected ant
that Che s,reties be left tn mourn theil
misplaced confidence. still there IL a lael
of propr,ety I'm the arrangement
The law was not designed TO levy tax OF
crime. It's spirlt does not justify the idet
that the code is anpeasabie by money. Th'
popular impression is that offenses are to b'
discouraged by punishment. and that TIN
mere exaetion of q price is no part OF tbs
criminal theory. Assuming, therefore, tina
every one Of these forty five OF fifty forfeited
bonds be collected promptly, the fact never.
theless remains that Justice has been cheated
and society been deprived Of everything Il
the nature of adequate vndication.
On the surface the thirty persons who wer
to have been arraigned, but absputed them
seves instead, go scot free. Presumably they
have committed the otfenses charged agains
them. but they have not been punished they
have not even been subjected TO the smalles
Inconvenience. They 90 at large In peace ant
comfort. while the persons OF interests which
they are supposed TO have Injured receive n,
compensation. no assurance Of protection o.
: OF safety for the future, while. added to al
J this. Ia the fact that the friends who inter
posed to save the offenders from i'm
prisonment by guaranteeing their ap.
pearanee for trial are sacrificed tx
the extent of hundreds Of dolarsi This Is
not an encouraging situation. Every element
! In II Ia the ex Vet opposite OF what 1t ought TO
be. Yet this is situation which may al
most be said TO be normal. We are daily
called upon to Witness the spectacle Of for
feited bonds and bereaved bondsmen- tnonE
whom we regret to find our fellow-eittzen, 4.
G.. Chamberlain, still prominent
There seems to be a good deal Of money
being paid into the court. but there 1t ends
We sec few trials, few infections Of punish
ment no diminution OF criminals What we
fear a that under this system the perpetra-
ton of crime is promoted aud rewarded
rather than discouraged aud represeed
Everything appears to be, aud doubtless Is,
done regularly aud In contormancs with the
law. The fault, so far az we can see, lies In
the nature rather than In the administration
of the rules. Yet II this be true how are we TO
expect the substance instead OF the shadow OF
government until the sacred fire OF pity
ceases to burn In such breasts as that of Mr..
Chamberlain or until these repeated saeri-
! fees terminate 10 bankruptcy and rnlnl
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