The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1877-01-04
The County Officers.

the grounds tlIatiEoHeHof the County
officers were legally elected in tho
! last general election, has caused quite
q cemmOtion on~nmOngst the incoming
and outgoing County officers through
out the State. The opinion OF these
gentlcmsn ON questions OF. 'constiLu-
tiOnaI law has great weight through
out tho State, butt this instance we
prcsume they have taken merely
technical grounds in order TO -prevcn,
the induction Of a bad man into tic
Office OF Probate Judge ineCharloston
County. This We think unfortunate
for tho whole State in our present
political complications. If it is true
that none Of The County officers were
elected legally on tho 9Th day of last
November, thon it iS equally tue that
there was no election for Governor,
lieutenant Governor, State officers,
members Of Congress, and Solicitors
No persons were elected except the
Senators and Representatives,. If,hc
Courts should sustain tho view Of the
law ns held by these gentlemen, then
the Democratic party will he the los
ers, for all the State officials are Rad
icals, and in tho counties OF ColIeton,
B"rnwelI, Aiken, Edgefield, AbDe-
willie, Lnurcns, York, Lancaster and
Marlboro, tho incumbents arc all
Republicans, while the new officers cl-
ccl are all Democrats. 1t is very Ger
tain that the Rcpub leans will not OBJ
jcct tc having the law constr ued by the
Courts as viewed by these gentlemen.
We thiLk the Wow taken by Gen
Hurleo, of Marion, who stands as
high in his profession as any man in
that section Of !hc State, is proper
ONE, and all the Democratic Cou7ty
officers should bc governed by il. Ir
reply TO tho Sheriff Of Marion County,
General Hnrlcc says:
"ln reply TO your request, that l
ahonld advise you az to whether you
would be safe and justified it, law in
turning over your papers, books and
funds TO Mr.. A. E. Gricc, who WAS
voted for ard declared elected at the
general election held on tho seventh
OF November last, / beg leavo to say
that | u" not t. iIk You are bound 10
z" behind the commissions of your sue
ressor. il l"gnl!v and duly executed.
but That upon the production Of such
Il commission to Nnn, YOu would be
safe and jusliicd' as II public officer
in surrendrring your office, books and
papers to him, ana no liability would
thereby attach to you or your snrcties.
1t seems to me at any other rule
would make every officer, whose term
of "flic" had expired, the judgo Of the
election OF his successor, and would
inauguratc interminabc litigatior and
confusion. | certainly think that no
court conld find au'ho ity to subject
you to liability tor surrcnderiny your
office AMI its incidents under such
circumstances"
Mr.. Gricc, WI o is u Democrat, it
soems, sent his bond to Secretary OF
State Hague, before Hampton was
inau~uruted, bat Chamberlain did not
sign his commission until after Hump
toms Inauguration. General Harlee,
thorctnre holds lhut Mr.. Grice's COM
mission is not legal in ns much AS it
wa" not issued by the proper pe"son.
IT Governor Hampton had signed the
commission it would have been all
right, but rs it was ri gncd by Cham
bernin Gen Hnrlco advises Mr.. Bcr.
~ not to turn his office over TO M,
Grice. This is certainly tho proper
course for all the Democratic officers
TO pursue. If tho officers elected on
the seventh OF November last prcscn,
the commission OF Governor Hamp>
ton, we think it sufficient, and the ir-
cnmbentH should turn their officers
over without amy hesitation. There
~ no doubt in our mind but what such
action ON their part would be sustain.
ed by the Courts, and the officers
commissioned by Governor Hampton
|