Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1881-10-12
Convlctioa Sentenced.

mails convicted at the last t-r,u Of our Dis
trict Court sentenced most Of them Ia the
full extent Of the law. Four were seu.
teuced 10 the State P-nitentisry for pc
Rod Of one year, and one for period Of
two years, the penalty in each Instance
being, we believe, all that the law per
miis. We believe that our people " III ap.
preciat- the manner in which the Judge
discharged this important part Of his judi
ciai dntirs. The object of the Judge IL
obvious. lie desires to cheek the progrrss
Of crime by dririring men from crime by
the example he makes Of criminals. aud
there can be no doubt that il the trans.
grrssors of the law were always convicted
and punished violations of law would be-
come less frequent than at present. The
people have made great complaint, and
Justly too, "f the escape which criminals
often make of conviction, OF If not of con.
vieiiou, of punishment. The Law has full
rd Ia protect the citizen IN person aud
property for the reason that it has been ~
-pnringly applied that IL has ceased To- he
terror to transgr, ssors. With whom
does this failure rrsri In part, no doubt,
with those whose duty il is to punish. but
more largely with those whose duty il j.
10 plnce criminals IN the position where
they can he punished. Conviction must
prrccde punishment. There are Judges
who, " hrn the jury have Convicted, fail to
administer the penalties of the law rs Sc
vrrrly ~ The interests "f s"tirty r,quirr,
hut there are far more frequently found
iurits that fail To convict when uudrr the
law and evidence they should convict.
The state of affairs Of which the people
complain is more largely traccnble to
Themselves than {" any other source.
The jurirs which are drawn fr,m the
people and composed If the people have
= dnty to perform. aud If the, fail in their
duty Justice cannot be- reached. The law
cannut punish the criminal ill Jury har
drclatrd him guilty. If the jury fail to
convict on some tllm.y, fivolns prrtrxi,
shall the law aud III" Court be- made To-
bear the udium' The law il wise. II
makes just aud mrrcfnl provisions in IA.
vnr of the accused. IL PROV idr- " hat rvi.
hrncr j. sufficient to warrant conviction
aud no jury should suffer any Other con.
sidrIntiuu than the law nni The -, idrncr
to- influence them II. forming their verdict.
The people are responsible for the way ~
which they exert their Influence IN these
matters
II is almost impossible to convict any
person hen public opinion strongly favor-
his acqnIttal. A correct state of pnLir
opinion is the most powerful ard efficient
means of surprrsslng crime and ufrrr-rr>.
ing la" aud "rdrr. When tie people favor
and uphold iurir~ in r'turuing vcrdicts Of
acquittal where under the law and the
evidence the accused i, guilty, nn'hinr
better can hc expected of juIirs In such
cases the law in charged with being
detective in failing to protect the injured
aud punish the bad, hut the real trouble
wv W NV P''lN H''l w JNIWN IlItNnliilhH
to bc Wiser than the law aud fa,uriug the
acpnlttal of criminals that are legally
guilty, on some sentimental ground. Ii
the law is NJ fault in this matter, II Is Tor
t"lrratlng the jury system.
Our Judge has done his dniy can all
those who served ~ Jmrymrn say H. murh'
Ii 50, then none ct those who have disturb
ell the peace aud order Of our society aud
been brought To trlal have escaped the
p-nalty of justice. We du not make any
charges, but merely wish to remind the
Ieop" that they are Themselves largely
responsible for the extent to which crime
prevails. 1t TESTS with them Ia say
whether or not CRIME shall bc punished At
all.
II il said that Mr.. Arthur will max, M