The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1884-09-27
THIBODAUX 1884,
THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE.
Things Necessary to He Done IL Civilization
Is to Survive.

Things Necessary to He Done II Civilization
Is to Survive.
OF the things necessary to be done to
save our civilization, the first and most
important is to cause complete change
OF attitude on the part of society toward
wrong-doing. What is now the attitude
maintained? It is one either of indif-
ference, liberation, or connivance, or
one suggestive OF paralysis of the power
OF indignation, and of every faculty
needed for the repression of crime.
Toward the criminal the attitude of the
public is that of weak pity. not unmin-
gled with admiration. The criminal is
On unfortunate man, to save whom from
punishment seems to be the chief end
OF the law. Look for moment at his
trial i'll court of justice. The jury,
carefully selected for their ignorance.
Gre made Judges OF both law and fact
to convict they must be unanimous; f
they have q reasonable doubt CT guilt,
they must acquit; they are themselves
to determine what is respectable
doubt; and to crown all, they are in
structed that it is better that ten guilty
men should escape than that one inno-
cent man sh~uld be punished. These
rules and maxims. devised centuries
ago by merciful judges, then met tho
ends of justice, since, as the laws were,
Us against the crown officers, seeking to
convict, person accused had no chance
of &C Iuittal, for he was allowed neither
counsel nor witnesses; but now they
operate to screen the gully from pun
ishment, save in few cases where
there is a general cry for vengeance
against some atrocious offender. The
maxim about the ten guilty men is
pressed upon juries by every felon's
lawyer as the great safeguard of private
rights. In truth, however, the interest
of justice would be best subserved by
making it read: at is better that ten
innocent men should suffer. than that
one guilty man should escape" We're
that declared to be the policy of the
law juries would be made to feel, not
that the innocent we're less deserving
than before of acquittal, but that the
guilty were hundred times more de-
serving of conviction and punishment; !;
huO tuc IcSu1t WOulU Dc uOSG S1IUCarV.
In not one case in million could an
innocent man suffer; and hardly one in
o thousand OF the guilty, instead of
three out of four, as now, would escape.
How necessary such a change of atti-
tude is, may be seen from the constant
recurrence OF voluntary movements of
private citizens intended to supply the
defects of the law. Because great Grim
inals generally escape punishment,
lynching parties are of weekly occur
ence in our country. Citizens associa-
tions have been found necessary to Sc
cure the execution of our municipal
laws. From the announcements con-
stantly appearing in the public journals
that from such day laws. long in
force, but left unexecuted, would be
rigidly enforced, one might infer that
the duty of an executive officer is to
cause the laws to be executed when he
pleases to do SO, or not at all, if such
be his will.-Jatdge jameson, I'M North
american Rerie,c.