The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-03-27
THE ELECTION CASES.

Duty Of the Public--The Democrats
Must be Protected from Persecution.
[Fiom The Nc,os and Co,uier1
The expectation is that at the April
term of the United States Court,
which begins next Monday week, in
Charleston, q largen umber of casos
growing out of the elections of 1878
will be tried. There ore, to begin
with, the cases which were continued,
or resulted in mistrial, at the last
term of the Court. There will be
some new cases, and it will not be
forgotten that, with many offences
under the Election laws, the District
Attorney can proceed "by informa-
tion," it is called, and need not
submit the indictments to tho
grand jury. Charleston, Colleton,
Hampton, Sumter, Barnwell, Or
angeburg, Itichland, Aiken and
Georgetown will be represented, it
is believed, and perhaps other coun-
ties. The government, restrained
by the presence Of an economical
Congress, is desirous of avoiding
any unnecessary expense, but there
is no roason to expect that there
will bo either halt ora retreat.
For its own justification the govern
ment is anxious to secure the con~
viction of somo prominent persons
who are accused of fraud or ,intimi-
dation at the elections. It is q
political necessity, and the District
Attorney will be certainly instructed
to follow Grants order to Sheridan
and ''Push things !" The Govern
meDt officers must take the law as it
stands, without reference to it's con :
titutionality.
The drawing Of juries for the
United States Courts is controlled
by the Federal officers. AS we'll as
can be judged the grand jury is bad,
but, the petty juryis fairly good. The
all>important thing is to secure tho
attendance Of these Jurors. Appli-
cations to be excused, it is said, have
been made by the most respectable
jurors on the list It Is not to be
expected that equally respectable
jurors will be drawn in their place,
The chances are largely against it.
In the hanls of the better cl,ss of
jurors is the fate Of tho accused.
And we know that we express the
sentiments of the Democracy in
general when we say that, in the
present condition of affairs, it is a
crime, and nothing less, for a
respectable citizen to seek to avoid
serving rs q juror, because it will
interfere with his business or his
comfort. The failure to attend,
leaving his fellow citizens without
protection, will hurt him far more
than temporary asbence from home
can do.
The accused should be represented
by the ablest lawyers in the State,
and by auch an array Of them as will
bear witness that these election
cases do not stand on The same level
as prosecutions for illicit distilliny
OF failin" to cancel revenue stamp.
1t should be made nanif that ii
is a question in which every Demo-
crat is interested, and in which the
whole Stae is concerned. Tho
lawyers get their full share of the
public Offices. They pick up the
+ rnit whom othe men shake the tree.
Ib is their duty, therefore, to come
forward now, in a. body, to offer
their services in defending the
accused. The members of the Bar
in the country will do it. We hope
that there ia no less spirit in
Charleston than there is in .Barnwell,
Aiken. Edgefield or Sumter
The plain truth of it is that the
Democratic party will be badly beat
en-, in several counties, ut the next
election, unless the communities
which enjoy the advantages of q
Democratic rule uphold and defend
the stalwart Democrats who "ran
the machine" last autumn. In no
instance have the Republicans failed
to take care Of their men. Pender-
grass is the latest example. In
few days over five hundred dollars
were raised to pay the fine imposed
upon him by Judge Mackey, upon his
conviction of libel. How long
would it take to procure the same
sum to discharge similar fine
imposed upon Democrat Until
the political millennium shall come,
there will be vast. amount of un-
pleasant work to be done at every
election. The Republicans know it,
and their plan is to deprive the