The herald., 1897-10-08
FRIDAY, OCTOBER s. 1897.
LET US HAVE A CHANGE


the granting of a marriage license where
one of the parties is under felony
charge. Properly enforced such a law
would make impossible mary shifty
schemes of lawyers TO stop the mouths
of awkward witnesses.
1t was but few weeks ago that a
young man about town who had ruined
young girl, and who was arrested for
the crime persuaded his victim to marry
him. When the time came for trial the
only witness against him was his wife,
who could not testify. This was not a
case of righting a wrong done youn g
girl; it was scoun.drel's plot to escape
term in the penitentiary. The more
recert Santa Monica episode was copied
after it.
This mode Of evading the law is be-
coming altogether too common. When
1t is put into effect in court of justice,
with the necessary assistance Of JUS
tce of the peace who knew what he was
doing and why he was doing it. it is
abou. time that corrective measures
were taken. The Herald reiterates that
the county supervisors, the distric. al
torney's office and the Bar assocat ton
ought to take steps that will put short
stop to a most vicious practice. The le-
gal profession cannot afford. to have such
tricks characterized as the legitimate
practice of law; and the peoplewill toler-
ate no such proceeding on the part of the
public servants
When it comes TO such pass that it
is the practice of attorneys to make the
hN& protector of the criminal rather
than an agency for his punishment, it
is tine to call for a change of some kind
The Athics of the legal profession de-
mand that the attorney shall defend his
client; but they do not require that he
shall bring the law and the legal pro-
fession into disrepute in so doing
And what of the people who have been
told and taught to look upon the law as
the bulwark of their liberties and the
protector of their cherished institutions?
How must they view the outrages that
are being perpetrated "i0 the name of
the law?" What is the present condi-
tion Of things going to lead to-?
But let US rot lay all the blame on the
law and the lawyers. If we go back to
first principles, to the root of things, we
shall find that the people themselves are
primarily to blame. We are not careful
enough in choosing and electing our
minor officials. The Office of justice of
the peace, for instance, and the candd-
dates who aspire to it, do not receive the
scrutiny from the people that they
should.
Because the office Of justice of the
peace is, comparatively speaking.
minor Office. it does not follow that it is
not an important office. 1t has 10 deal.
as rule, with the affairs OF the masses.
Perhaps that is why the politicians do
not consider the filling of the office
matter of Importance, outside of politics.
Make no mistake, the office very closely
concerns the people as individuals and
as a community.
The operation of justice court ixthis
city has practically blocked proceedings
against the Chinese lotteries; il was
decision of the same court that en-
couraged the swind,ing tape games IN
start up in defiance of the police de-
partment and the city attorneys office
1t was justice OF the peace in Pasa-
dena who committed daft seven-vesr-
old child to jail without notifying his
parents or allowing anyone to appear in.
his behalf And now We have another
justice conniying at and acting a princl-