Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1880-11-04
Judge Kershaw on the "Code. y

In his recent charge to the Grand Jury Of
Spartanburg County, Judge Kersnaw spoke
in Reproduction Of the practice of duelling in
this State and suggested ns n measure for
the protection Of society tho enactment Of
the following law by the Legislature at its
next ses ion:
THAT, in addition to the oath of Office
now required, each officer, before he enters
upon the duties of his officer shall take
and subscribe an oath, that since the ra,G-
cation of this Act he has not done any act
which would disqualify him from holding
ullice, under the provisions Of Article l. Sec
tinn 32, If the Constitution of this State,
aud that ho will enforce tho laws against
dncllimg. to the best Of his ability, in eycry
instance Of their violation which may come
to his knowledge, and employ all legal meas
ures in his power to prevent such offences"
The Judge goes on to say: If the duel is
to be tolerated ut hll, it is due to our people
that it should be openly lcgnlized and regu-
lated under the law, and the Code Of IIonur,
SO called, III some form spread upon
tho statute book. If tho ducl we're
thus sanctioned by the law, and this form Of
homicide legalizcd, we would at least COM
prehcnd the necessity of training our sons
from infancy to the skiiiul use Of the pistol
Lords prayer 80 much rs doth teach US to do
the deeds of mercy" This is cnpitnl
rcdHciio at absurdam. Tho force of Judge
Kershaw's words, however, is weakened, if
not destroyed, by tho following sentences in
his charge:
$50 far as concerns past offences of this
nature. while courts and jurics must perform
their full duty and vindicatc the violated
majesty Of the law, offenders may we'll plead
at the bar Of Executive and judicial clcmency
that they were tempted to the wrong by the
criminal blindness of the officers of If the the
law, and the silence of the voice Of tho pco,
plo.'
The trouble is that Judge Kcrshaw, like
great many other good people, while hon,
cstiy anxious to put a stop to duelling is un-
willing to make n beginning in earnest. The
laws We already hnvo are quito sufficient to
stamp out the dneling if "the courts and
Jurics and the officers of tho law were not
criminally blind" to their sworn duty.
Much as wc esteem Judge Kershnw, we fear
TINT ho cnnnot inspire confidence rs tho
leador Of the crusade against tho duclo.
The public have not yot forgotten tho brief
career of Tho Anti Dncling Society Of
Camden" of which Judge Kershaw was
President, and in which ho was the moving
sprit. They have not forgotten tho excuses
made for tho Society when it failed at tho
first opportunity to carry out the pledges, nor
the fnct that the Judge (for good reasons, it
may be,) resigned the Presidency when there
was reul work to be dono. The recollection
OF these things is not calculated to add force
to Judge Korshaw's charge in Spartanburg
Ii tho crime Of duelling is to be suppressed
in tho South. it must bc rcsoluteIy tracke ed
and stcrnly punished just like any other vul-
gnr crime. One dueliost in striped suit
will do more to check this species of murder
than oil tho fine phrases Of Judges and NOR
alists.- Charleston NeUs and Courier.
WASHINGTON, D. c., November 1.-The
Census Bureau has issued bulletin showing
the results of the first count of population Of
the State of South Carolina according to tho
schedules returned by tho enumoratora Tho
total population Of tho State is 005 ,3OG, of
which 400,327 are males. 504,07o females,
and 887 .664 are native. and 1912 foreign
born. The whites number 39l, OIL. and tho
colored people COL, 1886.
Tho residents Of northern Michigan do not
wish to havo tho deer cxterminated. At tho
opening of tho present season they advertised
that hunters would not bo welcome, and
would probably Ioso their dogs if thoy oamo.
Their request is disrcgarded, and The mortal.
ity among tho dogs by reason of poison is
greater than among the deor.