The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1884-02-02
Justices of the Peace Want Justice.

E0IroRs CLARION Tho Code of 1880,
in its omniscience provides that, where a
Justice of the Peace is disqualified by rea.
son Of interest, relationship or other cause,
be is incompetent to sit in judgment upon
that particular case and then proceeding
upon the same general basis Of provident
justice, says in effect, But in all cases Of
felony, if you wish TO receive any pay for
your services, it is to your interest to find
the defendant guilty, whether he be or no,
and bind him over to the Circuit Court, for
sometimes it happens that innocent men
are indicted and convicted upon very
meagre evidence, for upon the certainty Of
The defendants conviction alone rests the GER
tainty of your pay. If in such case, you
should happen to sit two or three DAYS dur
ing tedious trial and consume several
quires of paper (paid for out Of your own
pocket in writing down testimony and
should discharge the prisoner, you may
whistle for your money, for 'divil clint
will you ever get from the State or county.
But If you be shrewd, INSCRIPTIONS JUS
tice Of tbs Peace, mindful of your own in
terests, whenever party is brought
before you charged with 0rand lar.
cenN you must find him guilty of
petit larceny and SO forth, fine him one dol
lar, tax him with the costs, and then you
can get your pay at once. Even if You
should find such party guilty only of a
misdemedHor when the evidence clearly
shows the preparation Of a telonp yet your
action does not bar the grand jury from
subsequently finding bill of indictment.
The biblical assertion that the 'laborer
is worthy of his hire" is deluson and a
snare, and we propose that, in considera-
ton of the munifcent income Of two hun
dred and fifty dollars year that an ener-
getic and wide awake justice may some
times acquire, you shall do some extra gra-
tuitous work merely as an exponent of your
patriotic feelings and general desire to
benefit your country's interests and to show
your snbse rviency to the cause of justice.
We do not mean that defendant shall have
an impartial trial We mean that every
person charged with the commission of a
felony or misdemeanor thall 90 before a
magistrate with the full knowledge that it
is to the pecuniary interest of that magis-
trate to find him guilty of something. The
fee bills in this Code we're compiled in the
interest of the poor, Woodworking granger.
1.-The horny handed son of the soil" The
remuneration therein provided was not in
tended rs the proper compensation for in
tellectual labor or skill; this you knew be-
fore you went into the Office, and you have
no rightto complain Such ia clearly the
spirit, if not the exact language of the
Code-language so plain that its foulness
is blot upon a civilized, law-abiding peo-
pie. a sheriff may hire two or three depu-
ties, lay around in ideness, and at the ex-
piration of his term of Office, retire with a
competence; while really tho most impor-
tant officer in the county, he who must fer
ret out crime and must either punish the
criminal or secure him to be dealt with by
higher tribunal, cannot find living in
come in his office. But if Justice of the
Peace should be so unfortunate as to be
lawyer, he must forthwith be muzzled and
bound hand and foot, SO that he cannot
possibly practice his profession before an
other justice.
If Justice of Peace should be allowed to
practice law before another Justice of
Peace, he might hurt the interests of other
lawyers in his district
Not that the Justice OF Peace should be
lawyer and JoHtme learned in the law that
he may properly try the issues presented
in his court that he should be allowed all
the emoluments that young lawyer might
get for lawyers established in their pro-
fessions do not seek the Office of Justice of
Peace, that the income arising both from
his Office and professional practice might
support his family and leave him free and
mn rn,, ,niI al %,
the duties of his office. "The way of the
transgressor is hard" but between the lar
gers in the Senate and the Grdngers in the
House, the way of Justice of the Peace is
harder. JUN1us.