Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1872-09-12
DIR. HILL AND SIMEON SAWYER.

1t may add to the interest of the fo'
lowing sketch to state that DR.. Hill, its
hero-fOr he was hero-is an actual char
acter who lived life fruitful in good work,
and died, with conscience void of Of
fence, before any organized movement
was made to sbate the evils Of intemper-
ance. While he lived, even good people
deemed him a frantic; but the influence
of his teaching and example, and that of
men like-minded with himself, gave the
first impulse to that Temperance Reform,
the blessings of which We cannot suffici-
emily appreciate. If so much evil still
arises from intemperance, what would
have been our condition, il the habit OF
fashionable drinking had grown with the
growth of population, unchsllenged and
unresiSteA2
The world, half a century ago was n
world different indeed, from what it now
is. and especially in this country is the
contrast wide. A man could then run ii
debt for 'iqnor, his own body being per-
petual pledge for the recovery Of the debt
For a dollar, or dollar and half, wril
of attachment could be issnel in. Massa
chusetts against the property of the
debtor and in deftult of property the of
ficer could "take the body" Bail must
then he given, and, after trial, "execu
ton" iSsued. The property was sold T.
paw debts and cost, or the debtor wa
committed to iil, with the privilege oi
taking the "pnor debtors oath" after
thirty dIvS. Even against women. 5elnl
adult anl unmarried, or widows, these
summary proceedings could beinstiruted.
Step by step. each step resisted by hnman
fossils who declared that all propert,
values would he unsettled nv any change
these rigors have been abated. Women
were exempted from Imprisonment, ~
one session of the Legislature. The mini
mum for which man could be incarcer-
ated was raised first to five and then To-
ten dollars For many years the whole
system of detention. except as against
fraudulent or abSconding debtors has
been abolished. Aud claim for intOxi-
eating liquors, sold for consumption "on
the premises" has teen for many year,
not recoverable at law. Of imprisonment
for debt but shadow now remains any.
where-and still the world goes on.
Tn the davs of which our sketch treats,
a debtor lived in fear; hut debt was RAJ her
increased than diminished by such state
of things, since. a. we have remarked thr
"bOdy" was the pledge. Especially IN.
fortunate was the poor debtor who had
friends or connections able to pay. T."
incarcerate the debtor was to ppt his
friends to torture, and compel them t."
paw for his release In these days lived
Simeon Sawyer. He was not a drunkard
only temperate drinker;" :" but his tenn
perate drinks cost more than the bread
for his household. He did not drink til
he could not see; hut he did drink unit
his honSe was mortgaged. and he was uni
verSally in debt. He had at last cached
the condition when he never caught sight
of dollar. If he happened to get p
weeks work, it was an even chance that
on Saturday night his employcr-if be
had no claim of his own against poor
Simeon. wonld produce "Tru>tee Writ
The operarion of this document was I"
forbid the employer to pay the wages
earned, and tn constitute the said en-.
plover a "truStee." who must hold the
funds for somelvnx eyed creditor. Those
were prosperous days for country 'squire>
and small LAWYERS, who grew rich on
driblets constantly falling in, and the
prevalent Gus ON nftippling brought then
constant gains. Not seldom was man
hired in conspiracy with his creditor and
the lawyers, and the "Trnstee" was u
sharrr in the benefit. The only wav COR
a poor VT .trh in those davs was 10 run i
debt. iC he cnuld. and work 1t ont :" q
doieful. hone,eSs >ort If working keeping
the poor in the most wOiul of wotu
plights.
Simeon SAWYER owed the doctor. Ever
docrorS IN those Jays collected ILLS of the
poor, for debt was debt. Yet. to thr
credit "f the faculty it must he conceded
that they made them. as thev de- now
mary bad debts which they never at
tempted tn recover. A man "f feeling
cannot refuse assistance when tel'ow-crea.
lures are suffering. Simeon was sunnin.
himself before his own door. one fine
spring morning. Perhaps if he had not
Oxed "a HOPELESS score at the g store" and
another at the tavern, he wonld have heen
snnning himself at one at those tw"
PAGES. DR. Hill came nl"ne The road
H> first th"ughf WAS +" p'sS Simeon with
how d you do" hnt Sndd' nlv h.
hal'ed. as if mn inspiration had seized
him
Morning, Simeon. I have a pretty
large Snm to make up, and perhanS y"u
cor'l help me li'tle. on account 2"
Simeon HIS not dollar. And never
vi ! have one" said his wife, To herself.
~ she hid within hearing.
"Prrhaps Won have few notatoeS I"
spare. LETT over" Mt PEEK! His wife
nodded to that The last boiling Was in
the rot.
mNotLipR to do to. day 2" said the doe