Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1879-01-09


Fshnpid mot b6 aiisNsd to Indulge this niawfdi
Propensity 10 places ~ hero the lives Of limo
cent persons are endangered. The shooting Of
men In public placed aud at public gatherings
has been OF too common, occurrence. In fact,
| We think, II would have been better law to
have made the carrying Of concealed weapons
misdemeanor, punishable with fno and i'm
prisonment. and to have made IL the special
duty of sheriffs, oonstables aud trial Justices to
enforce tho law, Pistols make men wondrous
brave and aggressive and lead to fights and
homiodes, which would not otherwise occur.
TitB LIEN Law.
This law was re.enatod without any definite
limit, so that II will now continue of force
until repealed by positive legislation. Our OPT
Mon of this law is unchanged. II was origi-
nally enacted just after tho war 10 enable our
people to begin farm operations, by giving them
! o special basis of credit. Its abuses has not
only prevented our farmers from accommodating
n suffciency for the next year. but its effect has
been more disastrous in scattering aud denoral-
izing labor. The chief labor of the county is
now squatted on poor. unproductive ridges.
whore with bull yearing and little bread It
annually is wasted to tho State. Our best lands
often 60 untitled and the products of our State
are greatly reduced whilo the negro Is not
benefited. He lives poorly. his tools arc bad,
his land poor and badly cultivated and at the
end of each year all his earnings are swallowed
up by lien. In this way necessity drives
many of them to steal, so that crime is increased
to tho injury Of tho taxpayers. while labor
cannot bo had. For years VIC havc fought both
the lien law and the law allowing unrestricted
interest. The latter has been repealed and we
would like to see the same fate befal the former.
| PAY CERTIFICATES OF JURORS
An Act wns passed making the pay certificates
of jurors receivable for county taxes in the
county where the services were rendered This
is salutary law and will prevent the hawking
and pcddling Of these papers at discount.
The pay Of Jurors is small and what tho law
gives them should DO promptly paid or be
equivalent to money in tho way Of taxes.
coNsTABLEs.
AN Act to amend the law relating to consta.
blcs also passed. Under this net wc will be
enabled to have consabcs who can enforce
executions by tho sale of property and which
will prove serviceable to our people rs a Just
law.
ADULTERY.
An Act TO prohibit persons from living togcth.
er in adultery has also passed. a similar law
| has been in force in Georgia and other States
Tor many years We are glad to welcome the
| law on our statute books. 1t has been too com.
| mon, and shame besides, for men 10 leave
their lawful wives and children TO perish, or
shift for themselves, aud live with women of
bad reputation in open adultery. Sucl, conducts is
| dcmcralizng to society nnd vocation of the
laws OF God. Its prevention by human enact
| ments is just protection to our women rs well
us to society at large. We hope the law when
published vii! be rigdiy enforced. A number
of other Important acts were passed, as relating
to the recording Of deeds, the remuneration of
dover, the rc.cstnb!ishmcnt of the Office of
master in equity in certain counties, providing
mode for revoking letters tcstancntary and of
administration when the executor. Sc, has
removed from the State; an net prescribing the
manner Of enrolling money dccrecs in the courts
OF Probate &c. All these acts Of public interest
will appear in our columns rs soon as we can
get copies Of them.
ONE
The Legislature discussed at length, but failed
to pass, and which. we think, should be lew
in every Southern State We refer to The bill
to make 1t pcni,cn,iary crime for bncks and
whites to incrmarry The races nre distinct
dod has marKcd the distinction in color, in
physical structure md in moral md intellectual
force. Misccgenation never fails TO lower the
higher race without elcvating the lower race
II good man associates with the wicked and
profligatc. he will gradually depart from moral
reotitude without in any way clevating his as
sociates The same results from the intcrmar.
riage OF blacks and whites. The latter degcnc-
rate in all the higher characteristics Of th,
race, wlhoa, improving the negro through sucl
offspring We regard misccgenation a sin =
violation OF the law of God and of society, and
40 s"Sn calculated to work irretrievabc evils
1t should be made criminal offence, ns il has
been in Mississippi and some Of the Northern
states. 1t may be said such law is not now
cxpedient. We do not believe this. The in.
tcrmarria9e of the races is rs vet confined Ia
Few instances aud these are found in tho
lowest strata Of society. The negro now neither
expects nor TO any extent desires such priyi-
iege. May the evil not spread and gradually
rise INTO higher circles either by actual inter
marriage or BY the accumulation of wealth in
the hands of the offspring? Should it not bc
o"roed at once? We have nothing to fcar in
the loss of power in the State. The whites
have regaincd their inheritance, Tho right to
govern South Carolina by reason of their
superior wealth. intelligence and moral charao-
! ter, and We intend never again to lose it. I,
is The province of the whites to govern, and
this they intend to do, hero as we'll and as
| fully rs in tho North. The passage of tho