Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1854-05-11
COM M UMICATI0N MS.
FoR:THE ADVERTISER.
, Division of Edgefeld,-No. VIII.

: and that they must necessarily, have IL less ef
cieut police than large Districts, because the a
g .thorized fees of the former are not sufficient
| obtain the services Of good officers.
9. That small Judicial Districts increase Iii
gatoh.
3. I.hat they Promote partizanship to such ::
cXtent-lmong jurors, witpesscs and citizens gri
orally, as to prevent justice being done bctwec
liligsnts.
4. That if the proposed new Districts wei
established in South Carolina, the Taxes Of on
people would be increased too much to build til
Court Houses and Jai!s
| shall consider these objections separated
and in the order that they are presented Th
first objection has been anticipated in the tw
last papers, where gave a historical outline o
the progress and formation of Judicial Division
in England, in South Carolina and in the olhe
States ofthe Union. admitted rs the result o
my reading and reflection on the subject, lha
"a Judicial Dris,ict, in sparsely populated. ag
ricultura country, should be large enough II
support police and no larger" | subscribe
therefore, to the doctrine that every District
should have an efficient police and no man can
be more sincere in the declaration than am
AS paradoxical rs it may sound, it is because
want more efficient police in Edgefeld, that
advocate Il Division of the District. Some of
our worthy ind most intelligent citizens, are
at this time the incumbents of our District off
ces. They are men for whose characters enter
tain the highest regard, but with all this, and
without intending the slightest disrespcct to
them, must be permitted to say that We have
not an efficient police that we never had, and
never can have until our mammoth District is re-
duced In the first place. most cf our District
officers are unable to perform well the multitu-
dinous and onerous duties required ut their
hands. The Registration alone in the offices of
the Clerk, Ordinary and Commissioner in Equity
for Edgchcld District is Il task of herculran Ia.
Dor. Ii is notorious that some of our best po-
lice officers, as well as Il few of their dcyo:ed
deputies have filled premature graves, from dis
eases contracted by over constant ,rriiing 9th
ers have resigned or retired nj the end of their
term, with shattered constitutions living monu-
ments that the labor Of our police is too severe
SO much recording or more technically registrl-
tiou, is eXaced that more than one of the Books
prescribed by Statute to be kept in the different
Offices, are possibly not to be found there, or if
found, some of them may not be kept in officer
like manner, nor written in copy plate hand. AS
The Ordinary and Commissioner in Equity are
Judicial is well us Ministerial officers, they are
not allowed to employ regular Deputies yet
every incumbent of cur District offices must
have Deputies, to execute at least his Mnisteri-
Al duties, either occasionally or regularly, be-
'ause no one man can properly manage all the !
business Of any office in our Court House, for .
wen 4 term of four years, without incurring the |
probable loss of his health and perhaps his life |
Probably no District in South Carolina has Il |
,etler Clerk than ours, still that faithful public
ervant finds it absolutely and physically impos-
ible, TO administer his Office, without the assist
nee of two or three Deputies. 1t is the settled
ocy of American jurisprudence not TO permit
ny officer TO redeligate the authority which has
cen delegated to. him by the people All re-
ionsibiHiy in our rulers would be avoided if it
'ere allowed Yet, such heavy duties are i'm
osed upon our'police, that. they must violate the
Nv and retain Deputies, for whose conduct they
re held accountable. Many of our Sheriiis and
ONE of our other police officers have suffered
orely by defauiing or imprudent Deputies
ut few Deputies: can discharge their trust in
lie management of official business, as correctly
nd as honestly rs principal who is anxious to
tain his popularity with the people, and who
directly responsible upon bond, and by
'rieied characlerif if he be guilty of malpractice ;
Office. A Deputy also has less familiarity S
it'll the work he is doing, and is often wanting {
the requisite intelligence. But even with the t
d Of Deputies our police cannot discharge {
'operlv, all of the duties which devove upon I
ZEN. Our Sheriff has large number of regu- s
r Deputies, and an indefinite number Of special c
hes, yet many absconding debtors and criminals S
I'VE euded them ALL and much properly upon G
hich there was lien or special claim, has been o
wandered or run before process could be is p
led and executed A similar non-feasance, a
lscasance, or maleasance in office is chargea- j.
e more or less upon our whole police. Much h
overlooked by tbcm many official acts are per-
rmed badly and some things are never done at il
!. Large districts should he reduced, wh.n- t;
er their police have become over-burdened n
tn business. South Carolina was divided into T
ven Judicial Districts in l7GS, partly because II
= business OF the single police in Charleston, cl
become too much 10 be duly executed" p
, says the act, and EdgeieId now claims b.
iuction of her dimensions for the same reason tl
a proportionatc degree. But Edgefeld is "
thout an efficient police from another cause. tr
If District offices are too profitable The pc
i'm reason why's police officer is paid by fees, el
her than by salary is that each Of his count bt
$ duties shall have separate reward, rs an al
ucement for him to perform all those duties. Y,
t the officer of large District is careless of eS
filing many of his obligations. He is not an
'ays on the alert to do his duty, that he may co
ain his fee, because his profits are sufficient III
hout it. have said more than once that is
'ry police should be fairly rcmunerated, but tic
n that police ought to bcstir themselves in
hfnl execution of their Offices, to secure their ~
npensation. ~
tor am willing to indorse the proposition at
the police of small District are more dis on
ed to eytort unlawful! fees, than those of a m:
,er one. On the contrary, think that extor- on
/ is more guarded against in n small than it S
] large District. As it is natural for all fro
l to pursue their own interest, most of us ter
} handle other peoples money, or regulate, in frc
wise their affairs, are prone now and then, am
'ocket-'T dollar not exact ly our own, or TO tro
e plausible excuse for doing so. Every var
ee' therefore. whether in large or small wa
rirt. are inclined to practise exorton, but in sin
nall District, the people have more general est
lIigence than in Il large onc They know fits
@ law in regard to fecs atlcast, and they have as
er faeilities for detecting and exposing the cor
;tion of improper fees. They more frequent qui
ttend Court in Term time. They are often Sh,
the Court House, and in the public Offices. cor
y meet daily-talk constantly and mind con. still
ally comes in contact with mind. Every des
in such District is acquainted with nearly pas
other man in it, and the whole body Of and
ltc citizens thus become rs it were Il police cas-
the real police. What they fail 10 detect, and