The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1912-12-28
OUR COURTS STRUGGLE FOR
SUPREMACY AND CRITICS
Defense of the Recall of the Judiciary and Judicial De-
csions Movement, by Melville Davidson Post
in Saturday Evening Post.

TO him, are in contempt of the whole
people; and, if for his contempt you
threaten him, for your contempt the
whole people threaten you. When in
arrogance, by your word or manner,
you embarrass the humblest citizen
who comes before you without wrong,
you enter into a contempt of the very
thing upon which you depend to pre-
serve yourself from insult. Remem-
Der that all the men in the electo-
rate have clothed you with their hon
or and you sit upon the bench i'll
that. 1t is the finest thing they
have and they will not permit 1t to
be insulted on your person. But do
not deceive yourself. 1t is the mag
ic of this garment, and not you, that
engenders the commanding dignity
which you enjoy. But for ityou would
be naked of respect; but for it the
very children would laugh at your
announcements. Would you, then.
hold every man tight to formafcour-
tesy and let yourself go loose?"
When a citizen enters court
room he ought to reflect that this is
one of the institutions of his govern
ment; that he has endowed it with
all the power it possesses; that with
out this authority of the people no.
body would be compelled to give its
proceedings the slightest attention;
that the officers composing the court,
without this AUTHORITY of the people
behind them, wouldhbe ordinary indi.
viduals Like himself. And he should
remember then that the thing that
makes them formidable is the au-
thority which he himself, together
with other citizens, has delegated to
the courts for certain purposes. Now
when he realizes this he will also
realize that any Hsrespect to the
court touches his own personal dig
nifty: that when one insults it he is
insulting the whole people; and when
one defies it he is defying the
whole people.
He will reflect that in other times,
| with the rapier and the dueling pis'
toll, individuals undertook to avenge
Sights on their honor; but by COM
mon consent this Nigh and delicate
/ dignity has been transferred to GER
tain departments of the government.
Consequently resistance of authority
and all contempts of the administra-
ton of justice are insults directed
to the honor of the whole people.
When he realizes this he will look
upon the courts with a wider sympa-
thy and with a deeper interest, and
he will personally insist that every
man shall regard them with proper
respect. At the same time he will
not stand before the courts in SER
Witty, as before something exterior
to him which he must cenciliate or
lflatter lest it do him an injury. He
will be respectful but he will not be
servile-not servile because the thing
comes from himself; respectful be-
cause it is endowed by him with the
highest dignity that his personal hon
or can command.
He will understand then that the
courts are made for the people and
not for the courts; that the people
Established them and ordered The
manner and form in which they
| should be conducted, and that the
IpeopIe can change them or revise
the manner and form in which they
lare conducted. That all the power
which they exercise the people have
delegated to them, and that If this
power Is not sufficient the people
can increase it; that If it is excessive
the people can contract it. That there
is no inherent sacred quality residing
anywhere in the machinery for the
administration of justice; that it is
merely secular arm of the govern
ment, and that the people have the
right to revise it and to change e,
as they have the right to revise or
change any other department when
the need arises.
Ito be continued).