The Lake Charles echo., 1893-08-25
"a 80 TUgTTcE.

lt IS HHah deaf 70 bl4e heaEb q every
one Who takes interest il the welfare Of
ouF parish and state, that while the H.
nocsnee Of al accused parties may be-
fully. established wherever charges ar
preferred. the peace and dignity of thr
state and the msissty Of the laE be sus
tanned. This can only be attained 3
the hearty cooperation Of all who cor
troll the machinery Of the law. Let th,
jades be ever 30 vigilant at bis post, let
the district attorney be ever 50 alive b.
his 1uty, lei the sheriff be ever so untir-
ing IN his pursuit Of crime, and without
the sid, support, and sympathy Of the
great mass Of the people, ont of whom
are created The grand and petit iuries'
their best efforts will prove futile.
Dalcasieu parish is in position to con
gratnlnte itself on The efficiency of it
jurisa; which mesns q felieitati0n ON The
sBperior exeellsnes Of that class of ber
citizens who fiIf the jury box; and it is,
therefore, in q friendly spirit, born of
sincere desire to aid the court in its en-
Gieavors to maintain security Of life and
property, that we point out q neglected
duty, which results in greatly impeding
Justice, and in some instances entirely
Frustrating it.
Act No. 45. Of the session Of 1886,
reads: When any person charged SiIil
having committed any ofsBse against
the laws df this state iA brought before
any iiustiee Of she pescs or other com
mitfing magistrate. in any parish Of thi'
state, OF before Hry of the recorders o.
the city of New Orleans, it shall be tb'
duty of said Justices Of the peace, com
miifing magistrates, and recorders o.
the city Of Hea Orleans, to take in writ
ing the deposiiions and evidence of al
material witnesses on behalf Of the state
aud when 80 requested by the aeeased
the evidence of the material Witnesse.
fog the defense"
Nov, in how many instances is thu
laR carried ont how many of on
justices Of the peace reduce to wiring
the testimony Of uitBesses for the guid
i a1ce OF tbe district attorney aud grHDc
jnry? 1t il safe to say not one. Tbt
| Justice exsmines the witnesses, form
bis eoBclu.ion as to the importance d
the otIense charged, admits the aecnset
to bail when 1t may be done, trausmiu
tie bare record TO the flee Of the prus,
I,ecuting attorney Of the parish, wasbta
bis hands and fgrgets all about it sl'C
out Of this record. which says, ''J"hI
Doe was arrested for stealing JDbI
Doe was admitted to bpil; only ths
and nothing more, the district atlOrDe.
Dust construct a case satisfactory TO ib
indiug Of true bill, aud convincing l.
the CuntcirBces of tSeiye inteIllgeu
iurrymen. foIcipg him, as Judge Fonr
net aptly puts it, ito lay ASIDE the d,l
nity Of tie dietrict attorney s uffiOe al
convert it into 3 detectives bureau"
We Lave asked why this plain proyi
Ion Of the law, as shown in the foFeg'
ing quotation, is 80 constantly disr
garded, and the only reason advance
is that the compensation Of twenty-fi'
cents Tor is it only twelve and a bg
cents? /? per witness is so Inndequa
that it does not pay for the labor
. VOWED. This is no answer at ali; 4
laR was on the statute books when {
Presentssst Of justices of the peace
came candidates for the positions tb
? now cenPy, and they must not CO
2 pIsin Of small compensation when th
y are required 10 perform a duty which
y almost Indispensable to the furtherl
y # the ends Of Justice.
u We are al proud Of our rich a
u progressive parish we point to ev'
DeReomerthe fact that, considering b
u rapid has been our growth in popU
y tion, made up rs it is from all parts
80 onr own and other countries, We hi
u Il most pesceable aud law abiding q
~ If citizens Then TO maintain that b
. tandard in which we take SO much
y light, every wheel of the laws mach
cry must work Rmooihly, and while
7 justices courts may be very little OIL
they sre as necessary 10 our system
government as is the baiaRGe Whee
. watch. Little coarts assist the Ia
one to maintain and uphold the law