The Progress., 1892-09-24
THE OTHER SIDE

PAOOo"ipBo III our justice courts,
IN manner and language which is
entirely unwarranted under the evil
oepce, as Tar as my court is concern
ed. After it had made a very uninst
alluslon to the manner of entertain
ing charges, remarking that certain
ones Ignored by the grand inrv
should never have been considered at
all, L spoke to the editor and re-
qu.ested him to come around to nv
oi1lce and l would explain to him the
law IN such cases, as II was satisfied
that he did not understand the situ-
alton" To this he apparently gave
no heed, at all events he continued
TO make his critical comments until
the following from the Wednesdays
issue went beyond the point of justi-
fication:
1T is a serious reflection on the
justice of the peace courts TO think
mat OF the 1877 cases considered only
5o have stood the test of inquiry by
the grand jury"
This, too, in the face of the fact
that Judge Taylor had told the grand
jury, that tie justices of the peace
had no discretion in the matter. but
We're compelled to issue warrants
when credible person made an aft
davit." And in this opinion the
Learned judge is sustained by the
ablest criminal lawyers at our bar.
Inc Caucasian must have known
this, and yet, claiming to be fair
and impartial journal, it makes an
open attack on public officials when,
as far as this writer is concerned at
least, 1T cannot substantiate the faint
est semblance of charge. And this,
too, when but short while before it
had given a brother journal the sage
advice, ito have full proof, before
making grave charges"
In this same article it says further:
Possibly, il the justices of the
peace, before issuing affidavits, were
to apply the same rule of inquiry
which governed the grand jury in
their Investigations, very few cases
would be entertained, and the tax
payers would be relieved of the I'M
necessary costs for criminal proceed
ings. 'wrung from the taxpayers
pockets and utterly wasted IA said
Judge Taylor in complimenting the
grand jury's efficiency in the dis
charge of their duty"
How vastly more creditable it
would have been for the Caucasian,
NJ oh - E..
have added the few words Of Judge
Taylor, completely generating hon
orable justices of the peace. But
this has been treated on previously.
If the journal in question had have
consulted with the proper authorities
and been instructed on the subject,
that part of the excerpt last quoted
referring to inquiries by justices Of
the peace would certainly not have
appeared, for it assuredly places the
author in a position OF ignorace
which is by no means enviable.
Is it possible that he did not know
that parties accused of crime can not
be forced by justices of the peace
into a preliminary trial7 Does he
not know that this kind of trial is OPP
tional with an accused as far as our
authority 'extends? If he did, he
has committed deliberate, wrongful
and attempted injurious attack on
public officials If he did not, it is
not to his credit that, as editor of
reputable journal, he blindly made
charges which were calculated to harm
innocent parties.
As far as my own court is con-
cerned, and 1 am treating of no
other, the ex- district attorney. an of
fetal who retired with honors heaped
upon him by all honorable, honest
men in our parish, as well as our ex-
sheriff, openly and publicly stated
that 1T had been thoroughly investi-
gated by many grand juries, and not
the faintest irregularity had ever
been discovered in its management"
and we will venture the assertion
that they will both so state to-day.
have often expressed q decided
cheerfulness to have any and all of
the grand juries investigate the af-
fairs of my Office, and the invitation