St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1897-11-27

men Of ordinary means In civil caSeD.
whore the litiGants bear the cost. II .
man believes that he IL In the right,
and d In the right, civilization demands
that be have an appeal to some Court
Of Justice to correct errUrs Of inferior
Courts. II the number Of Circuits II
reduced to any lees than I've, the
Judges, instead Of visiting every parish
twice year, - they now do, will have
to meet at some central point like Clin-
ton, and decide appeals on transcripts,
- II done In the Supreme Court. It
will not do 70 send the original record
Of the suit to these central points -
they may get lost. Tit best way il 70
have the Judge come to the Courthouse
In each parish and try the case. - they
now do. on the original record, where
the most expense incurred consists in
giving IN appeal bond. Only the we'll
to-do can appeal when from hfty to
one hundred dollars must be advanced
for transcript before IN appeal can
be perfected. A number Of cases ap-
pealed to the Supreme Court In civil
and criminal matter could with advan-
tage be taken to the Circuit Court In
stead. The decisions of the Supreme
Court for the year past, e Il. Annual,
iG book Of lila pages. showing that
the Supreme Court will soon be a
badly over-burdened - some Of the
District Courts.
The election Of Circuit Judges ct the
general election II proposed, instead Of
having them elected BY the General
Assembly - Il now done. The Judges
OF the Supreme Court Of the State are
appointed BY the Governor. The same
reason exists for not electing Circuit
Judges ct the general election - ex-
lists for not electiug the Judges
Of the Supreme Court, yet NO
one has proposed to elect the Judges Of
the Supreme Court. That monument
Of American wisdom, the Constitution
Of the United States, provides that the
President and the Vice-Presdent Of the
United States shall be elected ct q
general election, but the Judges Of tho
United States Courts, from District
Judges up toShe Supreme Court Of the
United States, are al appointed by the
President of the United States.
This matter WAS fully considered in
the Constitutional Convention Of 1879.
In order TO render more certain the
selection Of men for these Offices who
have devoted themselves to the study
Of the science Of the law, instead Of to
politics and once seeking, the Consti-
tutiOnal Convention Of 1879 thought e
best to have them elected BY the Gem
eral Assembly, rather than In the con.
fusion and sumult Of . general election,
The method has proved successful 80
far. The Circuit Judges, - . body,
are credit to the Stale, and compare
favorably with Courts, the members Of
which are appointed by the Chief Ex-
ecutive, who have been known to re-
ward politicians with seats on these high
tribunals without . very scrupul0us
regard for their merit and fitness for
the place. It Is proposed TO have three
Circuit Judges on the bench instead of
two q We now have. Il IL not per-
ceived that the necessity for this greater
number has arisen.
In conclusion, It IL submitted that the
main outlines Of our present judicial
system are ~ near perfect - we can
make them. The needful relief can be
obtained, it is believed, by . proper
Of business between District
and Justices Courts, and between Cir
cult and Supreme Courts, without Il.
tering the main features Of our present
excellent system, which had best, I
think, be left undefaced.
Yours Respectfully,
ST. TAMMANY.