The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-05-14
TURNING CRIMINALS LOOSE.

TURNING CRIMINALS LOOSE.
Grant and Scott, a Precious Pafr-Some
Revelations about Executive Far
dons. State and National-Nice Condi-
tion OF Things in Beaufort County.
BEAUFORT, 8. c., May IL.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEWS.
address this letter to The NEWS because
our papers here are afraid to publish anything
crItIcislng the ruling powers lest The public
pap be removed. No independent, manly
discussion of public affairs can be had here
for fear of losing the pubic advertising. Lhe
respect. the admiration, the usefulness OF
fearless, unsparlng, just discussion of the do
ings of the powers that be are sacrinced 10
the pocket. Whenever the conduct OF our
rulers comes In question, mo matter What
they may do. "mum is the Wo-d." ,..,.
had few words to say some nttle
time aeo about the pardon by Governor Scott
OF four grand rascals from the Island OF st.
Helena jncarcerated for burglary. -They
were useful as polilicans, and, therefore, 'ney
must be turned loose; politicians who conlfol
primary meetings and command lSnoIaut
voters being OF more use % the pnoNc tlau
who, for years, have made the properly Oh
thousands of our ciLizens insecure.
Rnt now nobler game is In hand. Your
readers are familiar With the long trials OF the
Beaufort County election commissioners,
and of the Imprisonment of two OF them. DeS-
perste efforts have been made by their parti-
San friends to compass their pardon. AT last
1t is accomplished; and how ? But a lew days
AGO. Senator Sawyer writes one Ofour citizens
that there Is no danger OF that thlng oelnS
done. unless the President finds that the eVl.
dence does not sustain The conviction, or that
the sentence is too severe. And ypt, Mnea ia
General Grant was told by those that conid
make good their threats, that unless ne ald
pardon them, he wonld lose the support ofthe
entire BeantOrt delegation to the nominating
convention, he was brought TO bay, and sur
rendered, and turned those creatures, VINO
were convicted of rObblDg honest citzens OF
their votes. convicted by Republican jury
drawn ontside of their own comfy by Repuo-
llcan Judge, loose upon society. 1t ls no more
than what all politicians do, but 1t has losC
General Grant the confidence OF every Sood
citizen of Beaufort County, because ne mas
descended to ,lhe arts OF the mere politiclan,
aud people had hoped better ana truer thinSS
OF HIN. ,,.h
But his act Is purity itself as compared with
that of Governor Scott In this same matter.
The yultnres at Columbia received back 1hese,
their ccnfreres, with loud expressions OF JOY.
Not content with allowing these pardoned lnen
to come back upon soclely and hnd tnelr True
level there, by sinking out OF slght, tne Gos.
eroor does bis utmost to foist them back into
their late official positions. In spite OF tne
wishes of all better-minded people, and dopot'
less will succeed. Just think Of 1t Two con-
victed felOns pardoned out aud fOrced oack
upon the people into such Important ohces US
sheriff and school commissioner. IL matters
not, in this connection, whether ,he parties
are innocent or not; they have been duly con-
yicted. and the great mass Of the people tnlnk
Justly 80, yet they are thrust inlo our very
faces into positions of honor and trnst, TO exc,
cute our laws and educate our cnlldren; ana
this Is done by such an Official documenC. l
believe 1t Is usually held to comport win tne
his official communications through the sscre.
tary of State; but In this case the sherif ana
the school commissioner are personally
addressed by the Governor In letter
containing statements utterly false, tne
purport Of which is that his TOOLS are
reinstatsd In their old offices. NOW,
upon the removal of these men from the pres
ei1ce OF society to place Of punishment o
new sheriff was elected by the people,
and q new commissioner Of schools ap,
poInted by The Governor. The elected
sheriff resigned. and the Governor ap-
pointed one to f1ll the vacancy. Both ON
GERS received their commissions from the
Governor, Neither have been removed. Tne
Governor proposes to shove his tools BACK on
their old commissions, and on their old bonds!
So. then. we will have Two sherifs and TWO
school commissioners, each with GOOD anu
valfd-on the face OF it-commlssl0n from the
Governor, and no removal OF either. mus
beautiful does the theory ina tneiT olnGes
have never been vacated appear. But tne
Governor can remove only for cause, and ne
cannot remove the sheriff even for that. The
general Statutes, page 81, section Z, reao as
follows: ,, ,a o
powered, whenever 10 him lhere appears
good and Sufficient cause, TO remove any
county auditor or county treasurer. or any
other civil officer by him appointed, ana re-
mort the fact, together with his reasons there
for. to the General Assembly"
Now, the same authority, page IS, section z,
In speaking Of officers appointed 10 nll
vacancy, says, among other teinss, ne ne
office to which he has been appointed ior the
unexpired term of The former incumbent"
NOW will ]cove 1t for some lawyers TO dis
cuss at ,cugth whether an appolntee 10 the
electiue office Of sheriff does not stand precise
" in the shoes Of the elected sheriff whose un-
expired term he fills, and therefore not re-
movable even for cause.
In any event, removal must be had and
cause must be shown. II the present ON
GERS only had real character, teit their re-
sponsibilities as citizens, and Inc duCies Chfy
owe to society in this thing. and would .tght ~
Out, muCn SOOu mSuI uS uouo e,u tn"o'i M ".
prevented; but they will not; they are 100
much In sympathy with the same crew, and
are willing, it would seem, to be cat-paWed
ont of office, to please those who distribute
patronage. They, to save dilemma, would
even resign. Such Is our political CONDITION,
Mr.. Editor, and thus are we at the mercy OF
these cormorants and tools; and we even ore
compelled, with two papers printed here, to
90 &a foreign county to make 1t known. 1t
these men or their friends, in advertising
them. were really wise, they would modeslly
retire out OF public sight attend to their pri-
vate affairs honestly aud indrstriously, and so
grow into public sympathy and favor; but to
Be sh0ued upon the public In this way, they at
once become stencil IN tne nostrils VI a'i
who have any moral senslbllities.
PRO Bono PUBLIco.
How WESTERN CITY DoDaEs ITS CREDI-
ToRs.-The thriving City OF WatertoWn, WIS
cousin, owes $780, 900. and Judgments and & ex-
oon,Iono a oro nnt aUainst IL on The debt. Tile