The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-06-07
The County Pests.

We hope that the ''sub-outrage commit
sstee," row in session in Washington, will
not conine its operations to the Federal
Capital. True, they can send FOE spersous
.and papers," ana thus by proxy-by q
species OF legal Hction-make their examine
| ton of affairs in ''the late insurrectionary.
s.States'f. This, we dare say, fully answer
the purpose intended by the appointnaAni of
the comlnitte but q golden opportunity will
be lost II the committee do not come South,
and for themselves, with honest purpose,
enter upon these investigations. II they
will come, we promise them a magnificent
harvest. II they are on the lookout for fraud,
corruption "outrages," palpable incompe-
tence and double-distilled villany in off,
Gals, we will be at the trouble OF giving
them the amplest information. These mem
bers Of Congress should, by oil means, come
to South Carolina before they present their
report at the opening of the. next session
As we said, the field is vast, and the limits
OF this article would not permit the bare
enumeration even of q 1.-THE of tue outrages
that are now being perpetrated upol US.
The committee, we feel sure, upon looking
into the matter, would stand aghast at the
patience with which the people i'll this 'late
sinsurrectionary State" have borne these In
f~ictions.
We have o pet institution in South Caro-
lima, enerafted upon the parent stock by that
wise assembly Of Solons, yclept ''the Consti-
'tutional Convention" that framed our new
organic law. We mean thess'County Com
s.missioners." These salaried officers had
no existence here before the advent OF the
Radical new lights. Heretofore the roads
and public buildings we're kept i'll order by q
board OF supervisors in each county,. chosen
from among its BEST citizens, who were held
responsible. for q proper discharge OF the
duties Of their Office, but who received no
compensation for their services. But we
have changed all this. Now every county
has its three commissioners, generally
| chosen because of their incompetency, and
their talent for committing daring whole
| sale robbery. We do not know that these
faculties are held as prerequisites to qualib-
cation for the office but il we may draw an
inference from existing facts, it certainly
would seem to be the case. As regularly as
the court sits in any OF the counties through
out the State, where the Radical element
predominates, we find the grand jury pre-
senting the county commissioners. 1t mat
tiers not whether the Said grand jury be COM
posed OF whites or blacks, of Democrats or
Republicans, the result is the same-a foil
exposure Of the corruption OF these officials.
No party could. possibly screen them. Our
interior exchanges are filled, week after
week, with accounts of the enormities OF the
county commissioners. Whether or not any
or all Of them will meet with their deserts,
we cannot tell. AS yet no such fate has
overtaken them. They care not for public
opinion. They rob in broad daylight, vested
in heir mantle Of Office. The reprobation
Of the press, the cutlery OF an indignant
people, concern them not. 1t is not enough
that we are taxed almost to starvation
point for the support If a corrupt and eX-
trayagant State government. Here is an
additional set of vampires foisted on every
county N the State, who suck the very life
blood Of an impoverished people. These
county commissioners should be overloaded,
and stern justice melted out to them. 1t is
the very least the authorities can do. They
cannot be made to disgorge theii ill-gotter
gains ; for 'maUa bona" would be the &c