Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1882-05-04
The Persecution Of Democrats.

10 llluStratc the short n sig htcdnCsS of
man, when he attempts to look into The
future il is only necessary to refer the
reader to the fact of the recent change in
the public sentiment Of South Carolina.
which has been SO unexpectedly brought
about by the Republican Court now sitting
in Charleston for the purpose of pcrsecut-
ing Democrats because of their political
faith Onc month ago the signs of d-
vision in the Democratic party were Llainly
to be seen, aud citizens in various parts of
the State were already preparing for the
inauguration of a campaign upon broader
and better principles, and one which would
inevitably purify tho ballot box in South
Carolina. The Republicans at Washington
seeing and knowing tic prospect of this
continued improvement Of our local aff.rs.
and renliz'rg the fact thar without m,king
war on snuc of tho Southern States that
their power in the North would wane, they
bethought themselves to set in motion
some device by which they might be con
hDucd in power In their councils the
great success which followed their former
onslaughts on tho South, was remembered
and they, on this account, determined to
pcrscrute the Democrats of this State, and
by false swearing and malicious pervc,sion
of facts, 10 convic, our citizens by packed
juries. That the jures were packed, and
were drawn for the wicked and malicious
purpose of conyicting our pcopc for priti-
Cal reasons. We presume 10 one-Got even
the court itsclf-wii deny The result has
been to so|iliy and uuify the Democratic
party IN South Carolina as it has not hccn
since 1876 The proceedings us pu: lishcd
in the Nc,cs and Courier. of the Rcpub-
lean Court now attempting to convict
Democrats of infamous crimes which they
the lotent hatred Of everything pertaining
to the Republican party, or their admins
troton of the laws. Hon. Samuel W.
Melton, a sun Of South Carolina formerly
respected for his big character, his
natural ENDORSEMENTS and his legal attain.
mcn,s in The hope that he may succeed the
Judge who is soon To vncatc his seat IN the
Rcpuhiican Court, appears AS prosecutor
and there delamcs his mother while trying
to convict his irrmrr friends and ncighbors
before packed juries The lniquity of The
proceeding st,nks to heaven aud 10 true
Carolinian can fail to despisc sou who
who would descr! her at this hour of her
peril The political court now sitting 10
Charleston aud before which the Hon.
Samuel W Melton is pouring OUT his vnls
Of wrath upon unfortunate CarnIinians,
whatever the effect abroad. will make us
fight our political foes, more with the ip-
tcnion Of beating them down, than with
any regard to the mears employed. Every
man in South Carolina claiming the least
fall l. a.,
lican Court was sent here to naueurn,c
the campaign of 1882, and every man
possessing any degree of common sense
knows that the conviction of our people
will not remedy the alleged evils of which
complaint is made The use of bayonc,s
anywhere is not popular ut the North, and
hence the court is used for the dirty our
pose OF attempting to break up the Demo
cratic party.
Before these trials were commenced :,
division 10 our ranks was iumineut--a
division. too, which nugurcd well for South
Car0lina--a division which would purify
the ballot box-n division which would
make our criminal courts the protector as
well "s the punishcr Of the wcnker c,,z.n
"A dlvisioo which would enforce the Iow
for crimes against the person. division
which would create that healthy pubic
sentiment which would punish white man
tor assault upon the person, yea, even for
killing negro
The Democratic party of Snu'h Carolina
has Instituted many wise and much needed
reforms. and has enacted many of the best
laws on the Statute books, while the use.
iulnesss of the schools has been greatly
increased and tho taxes have been reduced
to one hnlf, hut it must be admitted that
the courts and jurics do not enforce the
criminal Laws. No white man in this
country, since 1876, hns had any real cause