The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1874-02-11
Trial Justices.


Among tho many nuisanccs inau,
gurAtcd by the new regime there is
nonc greater than the system of Trial
Justices. The blame for this rests
upon franklin j. Moses, Jr., who by
n fraudulent issue Of pay certificates,
and by corruption. foi>ted himself
upon the State of South Carolina as
her Governor. Unscrnpulous him
self, he obtained the Office for tho
purpose solely cf personal aggran.
,lizcmcnt and to carry out his ends,
his appointces arc, with but fcw cx.
captiuns, ignorant or venal, or both.
With him, efficiency and mort are
no orccommenda:iers. So soon as q
subordinate manifcsts an indepen-
dcnco sufficient to refuse becoming
to,l, he is removed and some moro
plant character is instatcd in his
stead, Among thcso incompetent
officials, Trial Justices compose
uajority. These officers are com.
parativcly irresr ousiblc. They keep
no record, and their deeds DIRE not
known. Tho cases over which they
have jurisdiction are too insignificant
for the employment of an attorney
to proPoand tho la&, and the parti.s
to the suit depend for their rights
entirely Upon the integrity and legal
knowledge Of tho Trial Ju ice. Tho
oliico should therefore be filled by
acme person of good character and
fair education. Instead of this, We
fiud mcn Of debascd Character and
having an utter ignorance or disrc.
garl Of INV. The evil that such
inca Go In stirring up petty litigation
and prom oting discord is incaloulablc.
The system of Trial Justices is
crying evil, calling aloud for rcmc-
dy. Gov. Moses shows no evidence
of reform. lIisap pointmeuts are daily
becoming moro disgraceful. One Of
thrsc appointmentsh has been recently
made in this County. Mr.. S. B.
Lumrkin who has for styeral years
boen acting as Trial Justice, and Civ.
lug satisfaction to tho neighborhood
has been rccontly removed without
any cause whatsoever. In his stead has
boon appointed one Thomas Walker.
Thos. Walker is IL colorod man whom
we do not know. IIo may be very 70.
spectacle follow, bit no possesses no
education, and is as unfit to bo Trial
Justice as Moses is to bc Governor.
Ills appointment is an insult to the
law, and an outrage to the intolli-
gcnco Of the County. What motive
Moses had in appointing him, except
to pandcr to tho colored vote is not
app'rcut. His appointment is an In.
dignity to tho colorcd people. There
are fifty or hundred colored mon in
the county more competent to fill this
Office than he is.
Senator Moses Martin is respon.
siblc equally with Moses. 1t lay
with him to confirm or reject the
nomination. Hc caused the Sen.
ato to confirm it. ...
The following is tho status Of the
Trial Justices in FAiriicld One
WAS convicted Of conspiracy to pro
vent an arrest by the Sheriff, and was
lodged in prison. Hs was, however,
removed subs equent!y. True bills
have been found by tho Grand Jury
to thtse indictments against another
Trial Justice, and ho will be tried at
the next court. 1lo has not yot
been convicted and wo suspend judg.
mcnt till then. But an official should
bc above suspicion. Another Trial
Justice appointed IT special constable
that could neither read nor write, in
q certain arrest, which vas resisted
by.tho person to he arrested, and the
costs of trial for conspiracy were
entailed on tho county. This Trial
! Tnstice ntfora in evcnsa n a. H., A. m
was urgent, and he feared the cul.
prit would escape if he waited to find
another porson. But in no oase, how.
ever great the emergency, should
such n constable have been sont.