The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1878-08-15
From the Cincinnati Times
Sovereign South Carolina.

The action of Judge Kershaw, of South
Carolina, and the incidents which sur
round it, should command the careful
attention of every man interested in the
welfare and preservation of this Repub-
lie We shall state the case SO briefly
that there will be no excuse for not mas
tering it, but it is necessary to go back a
little in order that the understanding
may be clear.
1t has always been repulsive to the
South to contribute anything to the sup
port of the Federal Government Eager
to profit by it, they are unwilling to bear
any portion OF the expense. This was
prominent in 1928, when South Carolina,
under Calhoun, defed the Federal Gov
ernment, and endeavored to nulllfy the
Tariff act. The same feeling has been
prominent throughout our whole history;
and, offcourse, never more so than since
the war. 1t is only with the most bitter
reluctance that they now contribute any
thing to the running expenses of the
United States.
The South is full of illicit whisky
stills. They are thick as blooms upon
the heather. Every county, every ham
let, almost every farm has one larger or
smaller. Some make whisky for home
use, some for sale. All rejoice at defraud
joice with them. Aside from getting the
whisky cheaper, they are glad to cheat
the United States.
Where the people thus sympathize with
these frauds it is of course impossible for
the ordinary machinery of the law to
deal with them. They resist the officers,
the citizens back them and the law is
powerless. 1t has always been necessary
in the South, to employ the United
States troops in bringing these whisky
thieves to justice. At the last session of
Congress the Democratic House tackled
on to the army bill $50 that the Senate
had to pass it, or leave the army unpro-
vided for) clause forbidding the use of
the army for this purpose So, while
Presidential candidates are made by pur-
Democratic House passes law forbid
ding their pursuit in the South.
But there was other assistance rendered
the South in its lofty purpose of avoiding
the Federal taxes. The President, find
ing that Republican Federal officials in
the South made bad feeling by pursuing
these defrauders of the revenue, removed
them and appointed ex Confederates in
their place. The arduous ex Confeder-
ates, unable to use the army are of course
distressed at their inability to catch the
thieves. But the President went further.
He pardoned nearly all the whisky
thieves already convicted-we have a
list of these pardons fresh from the At
torney Generals Office, that is calculated
to open ones eyes. There were few in
South Carolina, however, that he did not
get to in the pardoning process. Wade
Hampton has just issued circular in
his State that all the Ku-kluX murderers
ot ho
prosecuted any more, and promising also
to secure pardon for the remaining @
whisky thieves. Thus the process of re-
lieving the South of Federal taxes is
complete.
But, in one district of the State of
South Carolina there remained, unhap.
PLY. some Republican revenue officers
not yet removed, who thought it their
duty to catch these defrauders of the
revenue. The most notorious of the
thieves was one Redmond, regular
bandit They pursued him, and as usual
were violently resisted. During the at.
tack they naturally defended their lives,
and killed man named Ladd. The
local authorities arrested them and they
were indicted for murder. The United
States of course insists upon trying her
own officials. She said to Judge Ker.
shaw, of South Carolina Court, Hand
these men over to the United States
Circuit Court of this District" This
Judge Kershaw fatty refused to do His
refusal was printed and crowed over in
every paper of the State; and here is its
closing sentence, which the same papers
printed in glowing capitals:
"a resort, however, to compulsory
power claimed for the Circuit Court
might transfer the question from the
quiet arena of the courts to the executive
departments of the government, and lead
to great irritation and consequences
greatly to be deprecated"
There is no mistaking this business.
1t is an attempt to hang Federal officers
for enforcing Federal tax laws in the
sovereign State of South Carolina. 1t is
State Rights once more threatening re-
bellion. 1t is the old, old fight brought
back because of the cowardice or the
treachery of those we haye placed on
guard.