Richland beacon., 1889-07-06
\ DEMAND FOR FEWER JUDGES.
NEW ORLEANS, June %, 1889.

NEW ORLEANS, June -, 1893.
Editor Times Democrat: /,
I have read with much interest
YOUR editorial on "IIigh-Priced JUS
tice" in Louisiana. / quite agree With
the Times Denorra; and RICULAND
Beacon that Justice as administered
in Louisiana is very expensive lux
urv. The lawyers captured the Con-
stitutional Convention Of 1879, and
controlled It's action 50 as to give Lou
isiaHa the most expensive judiciary
system. per CAPITA, of any State IN
The Union. While the convention did /
reduce the salaries of the district and
Supreme court Judges, they so increased
the number Of the former as to more |
than e1uaize this reduction of salary. /
And by creating the intermediate
courts of appeal and increasing the
number ofjudges and courts in the
city of New Orleans, the State and
people were no gamers by the aboli
ton Of the parish judge system. | sat
sixty days last year in the Legisla-
ture Of this State as a silent member
from a country parish. | scanned in
vain the Governor message to find a
single recommendation to that body
whereby the expenses OF the State
could be lessened either by reforming
the Judiciary system or reducing ex-
penses in other departments.
On the contrary, he informed that
body that the only way to get money
to meet the current expenses Of the
State and pay the interest on the
public debt was to adopt an amend
ment to the Constitution increasing
the rate of taxation from six to seven
mills. He said that no reduction
could be made in the salaries of con-
stitutional officers, which we all adj
nit; but he never limited at the fact
that one-half the number of Judges in
the State could do the work as well
as the whole number now perform it,
and thus save over 100000.
listened in vain for some distin-
guished lawyer in the Senate or the
House to introduce an amendment to
the Constitution to reduce the number
of district courts in the country one
half, thus saving one-half the salaries
now paid them, and not destroy their
t usefulness or efficiency. One-half Of
the present number of judges and
district attorneys could do the work
in the country parishes in nine months.
1t is notorious fact that litigation in
e civil matters is on the decrease, while
t criminal expenses are annually in
4 creasing all over the United States.
This is great and crying evil, and
is due in great measure to class OF
lawyers in every city, town and coUn-
: try place, who suborn witnesses, pro-
C cure false swearing and pack juries by
t the aid Of friendly sherifis; thus IN
o nine cases out OF ten the most hardened
; criminals are acquitted or mistrials
had. The law should be made more
y rigid in forcing habitual criminals
), and law-breakers to speedy trials, and
3 not permit these unprincipled petit
. foggers to cause witnesses to absent
themselves, and by false swearing and
e frivolous pleas procure continuance
s from term to term, and thus defeat
S the ends of justice
n Mr.. Editor, the lawyers OF this
State have her throttled with a death
) grip, and are smoking her very life
: blood out at evory pore. Though they
}, know our present Judiciary system is
n burdensome, and the salaries Of the
o judges out Of all proportion to the
work they do, yet not one of them
has ever come forward with a pro-
e position to reform it, or make it less
l. expensive to the people. 1 will sup
e port an amendment to reduce the
y district courts one-half, re-district the
: State, and put the fifty eight parishe'
|, outside of New Orleans into fifteer
d districts, with one Judge and ond dis
j trict attorney to each district. Thii
: reform will save $4,000. Abolish
entirely the circuit court of appea,
and save $4,000 more. Reduce th,
e number Judges in the civil distric
& court Of New Orleans from five t.
y three, and save $4,000 more. Abolish
! the four city courts and re-establisl
the old system of justice of the peace
3 for each ward of the city, with tn,
|. same jurisdiction as the city court
!, have, and pay them with fees as il
If the country, and save $4,000 or Sl0,O0t
;, more. In the country the jurisdic
" ton of the magistrates can be increased
so as to give them cognizants OF debt
of $3.50 or even 5000.
N To meet the increase of bushes
4, that might be thrust upon the Su
i preme court by abolishing the court
% of appeal another justice could b
!, added, and the court sit in two sec
:" tons on all minor cases appealed t.
'e it. On constitutional questions ant
h tax cases, and causes involving larg
.e interests, let the judges all sit to
y, gether. | am not lawyer and ap
proach this subject with great diff