The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-03-23

our Legislature in the districting of the
State for Congress, if in nothing else.
EDITORIAL NOTES.
An interesting sketch of Capt. F. w.
Dawson, the accomplished editor of the
Charleston Nesos and Courier, and First
Vice President of the South Carolina
Press Association, is printed on our first
page to-day. This is the second of the
series from the Abbeville Medium, "Pen
Pictures of the Press" and we take
pleasure in giving our readers an oppor-
tunity of becoming better acquainted
with the life and services of Capt. Daw-
son, whose position as the sditor-in-chief
of the leading newspaper in South Caro-
lima makes his name familiar as house
hold word in the State. The work un-
dertaken by the Abbeville Medium is
being handsomely executed, and every
issue of that excellent journal is embel-
lished with a graphic picture of some
"knight of the quill" We will continue
the publication of these sketches, from
time to time, so that the numerous read
ers of our paper may judge for them
selves as to the personnel of the press
gang.
The committee appointed by the House
of Representatives to investigate the Off
cial conduct of Judge J. P. Reed, of the
First Circuit, submitted brief report on
Friday last, which completely exonerates
Judge Reed from all charges of improper
conduct in his official capacity. The
committee state that they examined all
persons who have made complaints
against Judge Reed, and have given full
opportunity for the production of any
evidence of misconduct on his part. All
the testimony taken by the committee
was favorable to Judge Reed, except in a
single instance, which did not sustain
any charge of improper conduct. The
committee asked to be discharged from
further consideration of the matter, which
was accordingly granted, and there the
matter ended. We congratulate Judge
Reed upon his vindication from these
unwarranted aspersions upon his official
character, and reiterate our commenda-
ton of his action in demanding and
urging an investigation into his conduct
on the bench, which is so strikingly in
contrast with the evasive conduct of
Judge Mackey when more fragrant
charges are preferred against him. In
our opinion, the difference is that Reed
is conscious of his innocence, while
Mackey entertains much doubt upon
that subject in his own case.
The people of Chester are having live
ly times among their officials. County
Treasurer B. G. Yocum was arrested last
week, as he was returning from Colum-
bia, charged with conspiracy to defraud
the county in the matter of teachers pay
certificates, and was required to give
bond in the sum of $4,000 for his ap
pearance at the next term of the Circuit
Court. On Friday last, Senator Dublin
J. Walker was arrested on a similar
charge, and, under the instructions of
Judge Mackey, he was released upon his
own recognizance to appear for trial.
James Reed, white man, who has re-
Gently served term in the penitentiary
for frauds practiced while county COM
missioner of Chester, is implicated in the
alleged conspiracy with Walker, and has
been committed to Jail. The county
auditor, James NJ. Brawley, has likewise
been arrested for being privy to the re-
issue of pay certificates already redeemed.
Besides the foregoing cases, one F. b.
Lloyd has been arrested on similar charg-
es, and he is brother-in-law of Judge
Mackey. Verify, the cauldron is seething
about Chester, and the public may ex-
pect startling revelations. As we under
stand the situation, these charges ema-
nate from the Mackeyites and the anti
Mackeyites, who are about equally
divided in the list of culprits.
The Sumter Watchnan expresses the
opinion that the progress of Democratic
organization throughout the State moves
with little energy, Indicating unmistaka-
bly, that the judgment of the solid think
ing masses is against it-a few leaders in
the counties where there is movement,
who want Office themselves, being those
who are pushing up the matter" We
cannot imagine the data from which our
contemporary makes up this opinion, and
in this case "the wish must be father to
the thought" So far as we have OBJ
served, in the up-country especially, the
solid thinking masses are far ahead of the
so-called leaders, and the progress of
Democratic sentiment has been steadily
pushed by the people, whose untram-
melled voice is everywhere demanding
that coalition, compromises and preten-