Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-06-30

bottom land is now being planted in this
grain.
In the neighborhood of Bethany Church,
and at intervals between that locality and
Yorkville, especially to within from four to
six miles of Yorkvlle, there have been show
ers sufi ,ient to refresh the ground and revive
the crops.
In our own vicinity it continues dry, no
rain in sufficient quantity to make season
having fallen since the 9th of April. We
have had few light showers, but only suffi-
cent to slightly moisten plowed ground, and
not enough to clay the dust" in the streets.
CIRCUIT COURT.
The Circuit Court for York county, his
Honor Judge A. P. Aldrich presiding, con-
vened at 10 o'clock A. NJ, on Monday last.
The following grand jurors answered to their
names and took their seats, having been duly
sworn as such at the last term of the Court:
Henry Massey, foreman; N. B. Bratton,
Joseph Miller, Rufus Hunt, T. Jason Thomp.
son, Henry Franklin, H. Martin, w. S.
Plexico, j. R. Hogue, R. B. Hartness, Alex.
auder Lewis, Ella Good, w. Banks Good,
w. P. Crook, J. V. McFadden, Regulus
Jackson, S. L. Reid.
The following petit jurors answered to
their names '.~ts r. r.o. 5-<. q.
w. M. Matthews, J. w. Marshall, S. A.
McElwee, S. G. Keistler, J. w. Roddy, j. D.
Jones, J. H. Good, Randall Bratton, D. M.
Ford, H. E. McFadden, j. II. Matthews,
Ben. Galloway, j. H. Nicely, W. R. Hayes,
B. F. Rawlinson, John M. Mccullough,
Ralph Keenan,, NJ. V. Darwin, R. G. White.
sides, Moore Burris, j. w. Rhyme, John I.
Thompson, D. j. Jackson, j. R. Haipes,
]. A. Deal, John L. Watson, Matthew Alex.
anders j. A. M. l.. Stewart.
Mr.. Crook, Of the grand jury, and Messrs.
Thompson and Blanton of the petit jury,
were excused from attendance on account of
sickness in their respective families.
Charging the grand jury, his Honor said it
was pleasant to congratulate them on the
quiet and prosperous condition of the State.
Crime has diminished; business has revived
railroads are extending their arms in differ
ent sections of the State; the shipping at our
ports indicates healthy condition of our
foreign trade; factories are springing up, and
we have all the internal evidence Of pros.
perity. All that is needed to make our pros
perity complete is population. With popula-
ton comes capital He had no doubt but by
the exertions of our commissioner of immi-
grafton, population would flow into the State,
and that his efforts in this respect would
prove highly successful, not only in inducing
immigration, but also thereby developing
our resources and adding to the wealth of the
State.
Situated as we are, being mainly an agri-
cultural community, it is absolutely necessary
that we administer the law with firm and
even hand, without distinction to men. Every
man is equal in the Court House, whatever
may be his social position outside, with which
the Courts have nothing to do.
Education is making rapid progress within
our borders, and his Honor ventured 10 say
that no State in the Union, not even except
ing Massachusetts, =hasacontributed as much
for educational purposes as has our own i'm.
poverished State.
His Honor compared the criminal docket
now with what it was when he presided here
last, and while, as he had before remarked,
crime had greatly diminished within the last
few years, yet he regretted to have to say that
the crime of homicide has not abated. From
February, 1880, to February, 1881, his Honor
said thirteen cases of homicide had come be-
fore him, of which ten of the offenders had been
sentenced to the gallows. This is terrible
record. Suppose such number Of cases
should come before every Circuit Judge in
the State, during the same brief period !!
Perhaps it had fallen to his lot to have more
of this class of cases than the other Judges of
the State. But why such degree Of capital
crime in an old State like South Carolina, a
State that prides itself on its civilization and
advancement? For cause, we can only
look to the results of using mean whisky
and the pernicious habit of carrying concealed
weapons. 1t is safe to say that nine-tenths
of the homicides committed in the State result
from the use of mean whisky and carrying
concealed weapons. So alarming had these
practices grown, that petitions went up to the
last Legislature from all parts of the State
praying for laws upon the subjects. The
stream of public opinion is decidedly in
favor of an abatement of these nuisances.
Many incorporated towns have even gone
further than the petitioners, and passed ordi-
nances prohibiting the sale of liquor within
their incorporate limits. The baleful inAu-
ence of grog.shops in community cannot be
properly estimated. Our boys and youths
think nothing, in this day, of going into grog-
shop and calling for glass of liquor, while,
when he was boy, such conduct would have
been disgrace. Hence the Legislature felt
compelled to pass stringent laws regulating
the sale of liquor, and preventing the carry
ing of concealed weapons. 1t is our duty-it
is your sworn duty--to see that these laws are
enforced.
Much is said in the public prints at home
and abroad about the homicides committed
in this State, and while the number is unfor-
tunately large, yet on comparison with other
States of the TTnion and the calendars of