Homer guardian., 1889-08-02
M0re About the Judiciary.

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pensive Judiciary system existing
in this state and the want Of pro
per and Symmetrical adjustment
of the different courts with refer
ence to each other. The lmpor-
tance of the question both from q
financial standpoint AMI with ref
erence to a uniform administra
tion and construction Of the law,
will apologize Tor some further re
marks on this sabject. We do
not believe that Louisiana re
quires moro judges, or that the
judges should receive larger sala'
ries than they do in other states
Of equal or greater population.
The law cases, civil and criminal,
sre not more numerous here than
elsewhere, Justice is not admin
istered more perfectly or more ex-
peditlously than it is in other
states. why then should the ju.
dicial outlay bo so far in excess
Of other states? 1t cannot be ex-
planned otherwise than that it is a
waste of money and capable Of no
justification or excuse whatever.
No department of government
should be made so cheap that its
auflciency to serve the purpose
for which it ia created would be
lessened. But to cut off useless
expenditure and especially extrav-
agant allowance, not only does not
weaken, but generally has the op-
posite effect. Comparisons be-
tween the cost of Louisiana justice
and that Of other states has al
ready been made, but 4 brief
repetition will not we trust become
too monotonous. The adjoining
State Of Mississippi has eight
circuit judges whose salary is
twenty seven hundred and fifty
dollars each. Six chaneellors
with q like salary, three Supreme
Court judges with salary Of three
thousand and five hundred dollars
each. These, with justices of the
peace, who like ours receive 70
salary, compose the entire Judiciary
of that state. The aggregate of
their salaries is forty nine thou
sand dollars annually. This state
has five judges Of the Supreme
Court, twelve appeal judges, at
least thirty district judges in the
country parishes and seven for
New Orleans. The aggregate of
their salaries Is annually one hun
dred and ninety one thousand
dollars. What costs Louisiana
this amount, Mississippi gets at
forty nire thousand dollars and
it is evident, that, she she gets
fully as good an article in the way
ofjustics and the construction and
administration of her laws. The
most useless part OF our judiciary,
as we have said heretofore, is the
court of appeals and it's abolition
should be the first step in the way
OF retrenchment in this branch of
the governments. We hear little
said ia favor of it's retention. That
little is, that it affords cheap ap.
pcals to this court where he
would not be able to carry his
case to the Supreme Court. This
court is established for the ad.
]ustment on appeal ofcivll disputes
and the settlement of private
interest. Litigants must not ex-
pect the public at large to bear
the entire burden Of their law
suits. The state will furnish and
pay judges to settle their disputes,
but it IS not In duty bound, nor
can it consistently with it's obliga-
tion to the public, remove all the
burden and expense from the
litigants. When it has gone a
reasonable length, its duty is dis
charged and the parties, i'm
mediately concerned, must be
charged with the rest of the bur-
lien. The finally of the appeal
oo.rts decisions opens the way for
olile'sot laws in the different
0i'cu'ts' 'elative to causes within
'heir Jur'sdS.ion. 1t is not proba.
bic that such WI result, but its
bare possibility, sb,vs the positive
and arbitrary charactesof ,ts nv