Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-06-26
For the York7ille Enquirer.

TREATITG--AN INDICTA5LE OFFENCE.
Messrs. Edtora-The accompanying sections Of
an act of the Legislature of this State, passed n
1881, have been brought to my notice; and re-
quest the publication Of them for the information
Of those, who have no knowledge of the law.
"Ifany person shall, directly or indirectly offer,
give, or engage to pay. any sum of money or other
valuable consideration to any other, to induce such
ether person to procure for him. or for any other
person, by his vote, interest, influence, or ary
other means whatsoever, any Office of honor prof
it or trust within this State, or shall ofer give,
promise, or bestow, any reward, ty meat, drink,
money or otherwise, for the aforesaid purpose,
and be thereof convicted, he shall forfeit the sum
of not less than one hundred, nor more than five
hundred dollars, and suffer Imprisonment Tor
term not exceeding six months.
If any person shall accept or receive, directly
or indirectly of another, any money or reward Of
meat, drink, or ether valuable consideration, for
procuring or assisting to procure, by his vote, i'll
terest or influence, any Office of honor, profit or
trust within this State, for any other person whom
soever, and be thereof convicted he shall forfeit
the sum of not more than one hundred dollars
snd suffer Imprisonment at the discretion of the
Court, having cognizance of the same; and if such
offender be in any Office, he shall, ON such conric
tion, be disabled from holding the same,
If either of the parties, offending as aforesaid,
shall give information, upon oath, against the 9TH
Ell offending party, and shall duly prosecute such
offender, such offender shall be free from the pen
altes aforesaid.
All offences under this act shall be heard, tried
and determined before the Court of Sessions and
general Jail delivery, in the district where such
offence is committed, and tie pecuniary penalties
accruing thereby shall go, one half to the infor-
mer, and the other half to the commissioners Of
public buildings for the district where the offence
is committed and such informer shall be COM
petent witness, notwithstanding his interest in
the event of the prosecution"
This law, now of force in the State, requires no
lawyer to expound it. 1t can be comprchended
BY any ordinary understanding. Not only the
candidate, but every other man employing meat,
dTf"k, nonfg, or o:kcr valsa5ie consideration fer
the purpose forbidden By the statute is punishable
by fine and Imprisonment in the common Jail. like
him who trades and traficks with slave.
The man and every man, who receives such
neat: drink, aaoney, &c., is in like manner punish
able, On indictment and conviction, by fine and
Imprisonment.
The law is good one. 1t is cmphatically the
poor mans law. fwealth be permitted to buy
all the Offices in The land, h:w can the poor man,
or man o. moderate means, ever obtain an Office
This law clearly favors equality and merit If the
law be violated, the interest Of the poor man re-
qurcs-thc interest Of the decent citizen requires
the interest Of the whole country requires, that
the offender and violator the law should be pun
ishcd. Is it to be tolerated, that candidates for
Office, and some of those to make laws, shall COM
mencc their career by the violation of law? Let
the Magistrates examine their book, the claw Of
Magistrates" P. ia, and do their duty.
CIppUs.