The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-10-16
The Operation of the Ku-Klur Law

The Operation of the Ku-Klux Law.
A recent occurrence at Camden, IN this
State, demonstrates the ease with which the
Ku-Klux law, in the hands of ignorant and
malicious officials, becomes the instrument
OF Injustice and persecution.
Last July, two young men, OF highly re-
spectacle family, named Ancrum and Boy
kin, went into store at Camden, kept by o
man named Goss, who is the United States
Assistant Assessor at that place. An alter
cation arose, and Goss was struck with a
light cane. He swears that both Ancrum
and Boykin struck him, and called him
a Radical; but two dsiLterested eye
witnesses, called by himself, swear that Goss
was struck and cursed by Ancrum alone,
and that Boykin, beyond being in company
with Ancrum, had nothing to do with the
affair. Immediately afterward, Goss took
out q warrant against both Ancrum and
Boykin for assault and battery, and the two
young men were arrested and bound over to
appear at the next term OF the Court OF Cen
eral Sessions. Two months later-on Sep
tember l3-a warrant was issued against
them, under the Ku-Klu1 act, for conspiracy
''against an officer OF the United States"
A SQUAD OF soldiers and United States
Marshal made the arrest, and on Wednes-
day week both Ancrum and Boykin appear
ed before Commissioners Boozer at Columbia.
and were bound over in the sum OF $1,000 to
appear at the "Bloody Assizes" next No.
vember.
1t is immaterial, for our purpose, whether
both Ancrum and Boykin did strike Goss.
The evidence, excepting that Of Goss him
self, exculpates Boykin entirely; but, if both
Ancrum and Boykin were equally to blame,
what was there in their conduct to make
them guilty OF "a conspiracy" against an
officer OF the United States? They went to
the store, as the testimony showed, to buy
some shoes. There was some talk about
drinking a glass OF beer, warm words
passed, and Goss was struck, as we have
said But where is the evidence OF con-
spiracy? The witnesses brought forward by
Goss swore that Boykin had no part in the
petty fight One man cannot be guilty OF
conspiracy; the essence OF which is the
agreement OF two or more persons to COM
nit an unlawful act And if both Boykin
ard Ancrum struck Goss, and were, both OF
them, properly arrested for assault and bat
terry, this does not make them guilty OF con-
spiracy. Unless they formally agreed to
beat Goss, because OF his official position or
OF his politics, they we're not conspirators
within the meaning Of even the Ku-Klux
act No testimony is produced to prove a
conspiracy; yet Boykin and Ancrum are
forced to go to Columbia, at great expense
and inconvenience, and are held to bail, in
large sum, to appear again in November.
1t is plain that the Ku-Klux act is
species Of drag net which will hold big fish
and little fish, whenever the Radical fishers
OF men choose to cast it into the bosom Of
the community. When an eQuivoca assault
is construed to be conspiracy against the
United States, it is high time for Congress to
declare it felony to vote against President
Grant at the coming elections. A mild
hammered man, who dares to sneeze without
permission from Washington, is just as guilty
OF conspiracy against the government as are
Messrs. Ancrum and Boykin. The thing
would be screaming farce, only that these
broad jests sometimes end in blood-letting.
We are glad to see that the Camden
Journal does not grudge its space iI dis
cussing the case Of Messrs Boykin and
Aucrum. The Southern press have very
little influence in the North. Not one word
in ten of what we say is believed. But we
owe it to ourselves, and to those who will
come after US, to expose, as often as We can,
the practical working OF tyranucal Radical
legislation.