The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1879-06-20
TOT inc lime
Arc Our Criminal Laws Effectivef


For the Times.
Arc Our Criminal Laws Effective,
Mr.. EDITOR :-According to promise l now
proceed to review certain laws now in force in
in this State: About two years ago our Lcgis-
ature passed an Act entitled, an Act to utilize
the convict labor of the State. The main pro.
vision of said law is, that the Board Of Direc
tors of the State Penitcntiary may lease or hire
the convicts to the highest responsible bidder
| suppose the Directors to be the sole judges of
who nre responsible We also have Criminal
Laws in force in this State which declare that if
persons commit certain crimes therein men
toned, they shall Le punished by confinement
in the Penitcntiary certain periods of time,
rying according to the enormi,y Of the otfcnse,
aud left generally to the discretion of the Judge
who passes the sentence. Now, it seems that
the law under consideration annu's, to great
extent, the penalties annexed to our criminal
laws, OF 50 modiiics them rs to render them in
effective. So much is il the case that the Peni-
tentiary has lost most of its terrors to the NAL
etactor. 1t is fact worthy of note that few
men too mean to have friends, and ii those
friends happen to be aljudgcd responsible 10y the
Directors, thon the convict stands fair chance
of not being punished for his crimes, rendering
null and void our whole criminal code, so far as
his case is concerned.
If the convicts are hired to those whose only
motive is to get the benefit Of their labor nj n
cheap price, the case is altered but little. a
great part of the punishment is due to close
conference.-the being shut out as 1t were from
all intercourse with the world. Man is natural
ly q social being and when you close behind him
the heavy prison doors and lie hears their graf
ing hinges speaking to him in docful tones that
he is done with the outside world until hc pays
the penalty due for the crime committed, then,
if he is not dead 10 all feelings Of humanity, an
indcscribatlc horror shakes his guilty frame
When evil docrs fail to have n wholesome dread
of the strong arm of the law, then an increase
of crime will be the natural result.
TO prove that crime is on The increase we
need go no further than our long, tedious and
expensive criminal courts. Just think of II d.
Ii the little State of South Carolina was divided
into two judicial districts and two of our best
Judges were to commence holding Court on the
Isl day Of January and keep in session ccntinu'
ously until the last day Of December they would
hardly be able to clear the sessions Dockcts ot
the State. Besides, numerous minor causes are
decided in the Courts of over 2JD Trial Justices.
These are startling facts. Many say all this in
crease of crime and litigation has been caused
by the war. 1t is true the effects of the war
has done much TO bring about this present state
of affairs. At the close of the war set of
lying, dishonest, wicked men seized the rcins
of government and enacted such laws as suited
them to carry out their purposes of plundcr and
has 'ccn to corrupt and dcmoraizc the people.
But why. ask, have not these obnoxious laws
been repealed? The government is now con
trollel by professedly honest men. And why
are not proper steps taken by our legislature
looking to the calling Of n convention for The
purpose of amending our constitution? Lcgis-
laturcs, like indivi iuals, commence rctrcnch-
ment at the wrong place. 1t is often the case
when are "hard up'' they will refuse to
renew their subscriptions to their family paper,
but continue to spend, from $40 10 SD, year
for Tobacco aud probably more for Whisky
If, for one dollar saved to the Stnte by the
hire Of convicts, thrco have TO be paid ont to
Judges, Juiics, Shcriifs. Constablcs &c, to
execute the laws, it is certainly poor rctrcnch
mcnt. 1t is observable that there is less encr-
gy and perseverance on the part of officers and
citizens 10 bring offenders to justice than form
eTy. Men say TO me often, IL see no use of
putting ourselves to much trouble to bring the
violatOrs of law to justice ; if they arc convicted
and sent to the Pcnitcntary probably they will
he out in II few days" Now, if the law has the
least tendency to increase crime it should be
penlel. And now, Friend Stokes, if your cor
| respondent should have another attack of that
old disease you call cdcoCihcS ScrbcRd,, the
Homestead will receive his attention next. \
few local items and close for the present.
Farmers have been busy during the past week
harvesting their wheat and oat crops, ,hiuk
an average crop has been produced in this por-
tion of the County. More grain has been de-
stroycd by rabbits this spring than usual, ow-
ing suppose, to the scarcity Of dogs in this
section Crops are suffering for rain here. The
northern portion of the Township has had re-
freshing showers during the past week. Cotton
| is small bm the plant looks healthy and is
growing, where properly worked ; corn is not
looking well, and mas, fail rapidly unless it gets
rain soon. G. b. Il.