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

officers were legally elected in tho.
last general election, has caused quite
a commotion amongst tho incoming
and outgoing County officers through.
out the State. The opinion Of these
gentleshSR OH 'aueStidns 'bfS'c constitu-
tional law has great weight gthrouah-.
out the State, bat'in this instance we
presume they have taken merely
technical grounds, in order to prevent
the ind9ctibn} cfi a bad man Into THE
Office: Oh Ptdbhtel Judge khdChallsstan.
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 the 9Th day of last
November, then it il equally tue that
tliero was no election for Governor,
/ lieutenant" Governor, State officers,
members of Congress, and Solicitors.
No persons were elected except the
Senators aud r. 'prescntatives. Ifthe
Courts should sustain the view of tho
law as held by these gentlemen, then
the Democratic party will be tho los
ers, tor all the State officials are Rad
ica Ia, end III the counties, OF ColIeton,
Bnrnwell, Aiken, Edgefield, Abbe-
vitle, Laurens, York, Lancaster and
Marlboro, tho incumbents arc all
Republicans, while the new officers cl~
ect are all Democrats. 1t is very cer-
tain that tho Repub leans will not OBJ
ject TO having tho law construed by the
Courts as viewed BY these gentlemen.
We Think the Wow taken by Gen.
Harlec, of Marion, who stands ae
high in his profession as any man in
that section Of The State, is proper
one, and all the Democratic County
officers should be governed by it. In
reply 10 tho Sheriff Of Marion County,
General Har!ee says: W
"in reply to your request, that l
should adviae you az TO whether you
would be safe and justified in law in
turning over your papers, books and
funds TO Mr.. A. e. Grcc, who was
voted for and declared elected at tho
general election held on the seventh
OF November last, beg loavo to say
that | 90 not think you ure bound to
z" behind the commission of your sue
"eSSor, ii legally and duly executed,
but that upon the production Of such
commission to you, you would be
"safe andjustifed" as II public officer
in 'surrendcring your office, books and
papers to him, and no liability would
thereby attach to you or your surcties.
IL seems to me t at any other rule
would make every officer, whose term
OF office had expired, the judge Of the
election of his successor, and would
Inaugurate interminablc litigaton and
confusion. L certainly think that no
court could find authority to subject
you TO liability for surrendering your
office and it's incidents under such
circumstances"
Mr.. Grice, VITO is n Democrat, il
seems, eent his bond TO Secretary of
State Hayne, before Hampton was
inauyuratUd, but Chamberlain did not
sign his commission until after Hamp
tons inauguration. General HarIee,
therefore holds that Mr.. Grice's COM
mission is not legal. in as much as it
was not issued by tho proper person.
If Governor Hampton had signed the
commisSion it would have been oil
right, but as it was signed by Cham
bcrIain Cen Harlee advises Mr.. Ber.
ry not to turn his Office over to Nh.
Gricc. This is certainly tho proper
course for all the Democratic officers
to pursue. If tho officers elected on
the seventh Of November last presen.
the commission Of Governor Hamp-
ton, We think it sufficient, and the ir-
cumbentS should turn thoir officers
over without any hesitation. There
is no doubtin our mind but what such
action on their part would be sustain.
ed by the Courts, and The officers
commissioned by Governor Hampton
propOraIly recognized. This is the