The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1879-06-13
For the Times. 3

BEEN looking over the last report Of the County
Commissioners, and ara anxious to learn how 1t
is tkst teme tntjre efamilles- Including even the
nephewsa and niesss- pensioners on the
bounty Of our County and, rs the Clerk of the
Board has as usual, neglected TO itemi.e, his
Aceonnta they ste thinking seriously of sseipg
the grand jury next week, and having an investi-
CATION into affairs generally. They are not sat |
isfed with, bare statement Of the amounts |
| paid Tom, Dick and Harry, but desire to know |
| whether tho County has received q qaid pro quo |
for the many thousands paid out. This is o very
natural desire on the part Of our back woods ta1
payer but It betrsys lamentable ignorance Of
the manner in which things are managed in the
present day. to expect the grand jury to waste
their valuable time on such triaing matters
But If they had plenty Of time to examine the
books Of tho Commissioners, eourtesy would pre-
vent them doing such On unheard Of thing. 1t
would DO . terrible breach of politeness, and
those guilty Of it would never, no never, get to
be Clerk, much less County Commissioner.
No juryman would run any such risk. Like
the rest Of us, all of them expect to get an Of
fce ''in the sweet bys and bye" r,..
| You, dear souls, would have the whole jury
overhaul oil the books and records in the various
County Offices, make searching and thorough
examination, and then you would have them
give correct aud truthful report Of their fud-
ings! A very little forethousht would convince
you of the impropriety of such proceeding, as
it would be insslting in the highest degree to
tackle the ofices!in any such manner. g
The gentlemen of tho Grand Jury, out in
Georgia, have adopted much easier and nicer
plan, one which renders tho thing pleasant
and agreeable to the parties concerned. Here's
how it's done: 1."'' ryn'.' - E'.F
A committee Of three me mbers are appein ted,
say. to examine the books Of The County Com.
missioners. These gentlemen are good friends
-"hail fellows we'll met'-with the Commits
sioners and their Clerk. They go down, or up.
ss the case may be, knock ut the door and hal
loe to b. B. opens the door and replies with
another, and wants to know what the - they
want with Aim; but without waiting for the an-
swer invites the three in, Lands over his books
and tells them to pitch in. The polite reply 10
r Bs. invitation is an 20! HI, We don't know
nsthing about your figures, and don't care n
: - picayune +; but we want you to ,srite out
our Presentment. Here's the notes, fix it up to
suit yourself and it'll be all hunky. Have it
ready by 10 Tomorrow, the old Jedge will be
! looking for 1t sharp. Exit Committee No. l.
While committee number are examining ~
: the books Of the County Commissioner, No. 9.
are hailing the superintendent of the Poor
House Mr.. Is. Seeandus, reports everything in
and about the poor house farm in prosperous,
r thriving and galorious condition, specially and
!. generally. By this time everything has been
thoroughly examined, except Me Jail, and q con
ference is called for the purpose Of comparing
: notes. -"
It is said-with don't know how much truth
that the grand Jurymdn has q singular and
unaccountable aversion to Jails. and while it is
very common to see them go in under the escort
OF the Sheriff, not one Of them was ever known
to enter one Voluntarily. And tradition has it,
that once upon = time Col Macbeth offered 'v''
to certain foreman Of the Grand Jury to get
. him to examine our jail-it had become so inse.
cure the prisoners themselves retelled at the
4 | carelessncss Of the County Commissioners for
. not having it repaired--but neither money. en-.
treaties nor threats prevailed with the simple
foreman. Don't, Col, don't ask me to 20 in
there, he exclaimed. Tell me what you wan,
:, done and will report 1t; but can't go in the
Jail I'm going to stay out As long rs car. -
,, Was II superstition or . presentimcnt on the
part Of this eonseientious juryman |? I can't
vouoi for the truth Of The story, but II is prob
ably true. because grand jurymen have many
strange superstitions. and peculiar notions.
One Of the strangest, perhaps, Of all manifest.
, Itself when the jury closes their committee Ia
bors. Is 1t not little singular that for the last
two years, and perhaps four, the Clerk Of the
Board Of County Commissioners has been called
upon 10 write the report Of the Grand Juryi-
The task was pleasant one, no doubi, but was
It either right or proper for Mr.. Hill to hare
anything 10 do with III Complaints had been
made against the Commissioners, and full notes
Of the facts were taken by the jury. These
notes, I presume, with tho names Of the com
> plsinants, were delivered into tho keeping OF
Mr.. Hill 10 ha .nsad hy- him m hs p,apss--
. Now Mr.. Hill was, and Is the Clerk Of the board
and Is paid BY them 10 keep their books "The
servant must obey his MASTER" but we fail To-
SEQ what obligation he is under to the Grand
Jury or they TO him. @~e' a.i, ,,, q,
II Mr.. Betsill didn't care to write, why didn't
= he get some Of his follow members to do it,
, There were plenty Of good men on the Jury
who would have undertaken the ,asko and ac.