The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1882-08-09
FROM v1DET.

The campaign for the Judgeship
of this District, now on the verge Of
closing, however unnecessary and
uncallcd for it may have been con-
sidered, has nevertheless been
brought about in pursuance OF law
and is, to all intents and purposes,
fraught with almost as much politl-
cal Importance and as much interest
to the Democratic party and the
whole people as if it were a general
State election.
1t is matter ofregrel however, not
to say alarm that in this particular
struggle there should be developed a
so called independent spirit of oppo-
sition to the election of Democrat
ic candidate for the JudgesLip. The
Judiciary in Louisiana, both Federal
and State, when controlled by the
party represented by John Osborn,
has many times displayed toward
our people an auimus of malignity,
villainy and oppression that should
ca AXE US 10th indeed to risk the re.
nstatement of another Radical Judge
especially in the person of the pres
emit candidate of that party. The
Courts, when properly administered,
have been, at all times, powerful
and priceless shield of protection
against the hand of OPPRESSION
That the Judges of the law are far
more potent than the makers OF
the law is self-evideut proposition.
They are the sole interpreters of the
law. 1t is in their province, more or
less, to pervert or suppress statute
at will. In their hands reside the
life, the liberty and the property of
every citizen. Our State and people
owe already many long years ofbope-
less humiliation and wrong to the
fat of Federal Republican Judge.
Should not then the lessons of the
past as we'll as the impending dan
ger of the present, warn the voters OF
the District that they cannot safely
occupy middle ground in this con
test for the Judiciary? 1ndepend-
entism in our midst pretends to some
justification in its warfare against
the Democratic nominee. It's sup.
porters allege that the Judgeship is
not political office. It's apostle,
Mr.. R. j. Bowman, stated in public
over his signature that "the Judic-
larry should be free from the strife
of politics or of PARTIES" and at this
very moment he is said to be jour
neying through the whole District,
pleading with the dear people Of
course, and soliciting their support
at the ballot box with the same an
xiety and zeal that any ordinary
e candidate could. He should stand
t aloof from the "strife' to be consis
tent. That the Judiciary is proper.
ly an exalted position in our State
, government is true enough. That il
should be :"free from the strife OF
politics and parties" if possible, is
also correct as sentimental propo
sition. But it so stands that the
Judgcship must be voted for. 1t is
r an elective office, ard, to all intents
and purposes, Messrs. Bowman
Blackman and Osborn must all 60
out upon the hustings, mingle in the
"strife," so to speak, and each strug.
gle to command more votes than the
, other. Then, this pure, non-political
office will be filed by the candidate
who receives the most votes. To
say that the Judiciary is "free from
the strife of politics and of parties
when it is an elective office, and can
didates striving and struggling for
it who are endowed with an equal
share of hN1naU nature, is a sort OF
poetic bull, whatever that may mean.
But in all seriousness the Democrat
ic party cannot afford to lose it's can
didate in this contest. The defeat
of Judge BIackmau will be the cleo
ton of Osborn to the Judgeship. 1t
will be G Republican victory. 1t
will entail upon this community, for
the future, and particularly in the
crisis of 1884, the same bitter ami
nosities and political strife against
Radlcalism that our people have 80
patiently and manfully fought
through in past years. We do not
deserve this fate. 1t hangs over US
however, and can only be averted by
a patriotic determination of all good
citizens to support the candidate Of
the Democratic party and elect him
whether they like him personally or
not. Judge Blackman has served
the. people of this District as loyal,
untiring and successful leader of the
Democratic party in its darkest
honrs of battle against Radicalism