The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1921-04-09
SNYDER OPPOSES
PLAN OF SPENCER

PLAN OF SPENCER
Too Expensive, Unsatisfaetosy; Has
Judiciary Solution Of HE Own
BATON ROUGE, April 2.-Jef B.
Snyder, of Madison Parish, added an
other ordinance on the judiciary to
the many now before the committee
last week. Mr.. Snyder incorporates
many of the features of some Of the
other ordinances already in the con-
vention but preserves the elective sys-
TEN Of judges from beginning to end.
The chief thing which the Snyder
ordinance seeks to do is to solve the
problem of clearing up the congestion
in the work Of the Supreme Court. He
does not believe in the Spencer plan
at all, and holds that it would be .
great additional expense to the state.
In presenting his ordinance Mr.. Sny-
der gave to the press his reasons for
opposing the Spencer plan. His state
ment follows:
Il cannot support the .so-called
Spencer scheme for the judiciary. l
have given it much thought and am
strongly opposed to it for reasons
that would require more space for dis
cussion than this statement will ad-
nit Of.
Help Supreme Court.
"All we want, in my judgment, is
some plan by which the Supreme
Court docket can be Immediately re-
lieved Of its present congestion, and
kept so. I am strongly opposed to any
change in the district court system.
If the Spencer scheme was adopted,
TIE Judge in my district and in many
other districts would spend most Of
his time holding court in some other
part of the state, and our dockets
would gradually fill up with untired
cases, preliminary motions, etc. Our
jails, now emptied each month OF all
misdemeanor cases probably 90 per
cent of all criminal cases,) would be
filled with impecunius negroes await.
ing trial, thus not only entailing q
large expense on the parishes for the
keep of these prisoners, but hinderine
that speedy punishment Of crime SC
essential to a proper administration
Of criminal justice.
1.-THE only argument l have heard II
favor Of change in the district court
system is that some judges have to<
much work to do, others too little. Il
the administration Of justice could b,
supervised by what are termed in in
dustrial matters, efficiency experts
and judges employed, or discharged
as factory laborers are, according o
their services are, or are not, needed
there might be merit in this argumen
which, after all, is based solely on
question Of saving money; but it j
manifestly impossible to devise an,
practical, working scheme by whic
each and every judge shall earn hi
daily, monthly or yearly work as d
his brethren. The fact Is that tn
Spencer scheme is an impossible one
il we only consider the question o
expense, which, while q minor ont
il we'll worthy Of consideration.
! Cost Too High.
"In fact, the expense which woul
be incurred in that scheme in th
actual pay Of the judges woul
amount to more than 100000 pc
annum in excess Of the present e.
penses for the judiciary, because tn
Spencer scheme practically admit
that in addition to the district judge
provided therein, q parish judge fo
each parish would be an absolute NJ
cessity. It needs no argument to cor
vince one that a properly equippe
, man for the position Of parish judg
, could not be found for that position 9
q salary Of less than 800 per yea
and if that sum ID multiplied by tn
| number Of parishes Of the state, tn
enormous additional expense Is 9
once apparent.
Indeed, instead of having both di.
! trict judges and parish judges rs prs
! posed in the Spencer scheme, II woul
| in my humble judgment, be far bette
to call each parish q district; to Civ
to each parish as many district judge
as the business Of that parish woul
require because, for instance, parishe
like Caddo would require the service
Of more than one judge and then eac
/. parish would have . district judg
always at home and always on tn
job. II is true that the same objee
ton now made in some quarters tina
| some judges do more work than 9th
. ers would still exist under the paris
: district system, but I cannot conceiv
that the human mind can evolve an
scheme whereby each jugde win d
J exactly the same work that ever
other judge does.
Two Extremes Apparent.
Possibly the nearest approach tha
can be made to meet this objection !
} to provide for an interchange Of dis