The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-05-04
EX.JUDGE CARPENTER.
An Interview with one OF the keenest of
Politicians.

Politicians.
| Correspondence Ners aud Courier.
COLUMBIA, April 24.-Ex Judge r. Is.
Carpenter returned to Columbia yester-
day, after an absence of one year, on a
visit to his plantation near this city, and
TO attend to various matters Of impor-
tant private business l had an inter
view with him this morning, which will
no doubt be read with interest throughout
the State. lie talks as forclbly and with
as easy flow of language as when he
occupied the bench in this State. In re.
ply TO a question as 10 what he had been
doing since he left South Carolina, he
said:
"For the last three months have beeI
in Washington engaged in the defence OF
the Star-Route cases. / have been es-
pecialIy retained by ex-senator Dorsey.
The trial Of the cases has not yet begun.
There is nothing in the cases and all the
defendants will be acquitted or ought to
be. My mining interests in Colorado
are developing remarkably we'll, and
since left South Carolina have been
mostly engaged in mining. My law
practice is in Washington and there is
more profit in it than in the Dorsey mat
ter, but the cases are 10 the Government
departments that work very slow. am
glad to get back home again, and have
met cordial reception from all the peo.
ple Things look better than / have
seen for good while, and never expect
to move from this State which is the
garden spot of the Union. l was very
much pleased with the country from
Charlotte down TO Columbia. Along the
whole line Of the railroad there are now
growing the finest grain crops I have
| ever seen."
The conversation then gradually drf.
ted into politics, when I asked Judge
Carpenter his opinion of
THE POLITICAL TRIALS
in Charleston. He said: II have seen
the accounts of the political prosecutions
in the papers, know the general purport,
and have watched the progress of the
trials / won't undertake to criticse the
action of the Federal Courts, but don't
precisely see the advantage of wasting
the time and money of the Government
and the time of The court and juries to
secure the conviction of the parties on
trial and then TO discharge them without
sentence. 1 don't see the wisdom of any
part of it, and think it is only stirring
up bad blood aud creating trouble with
out any good result. The present prac-
tice Of the Government in EMPLOYING its
pets and parasites to prosecute the pleas
of the Government in criminal cases, in.
stead of giving it to its authorized attor-
neys, is in the last degree reprehensibe.
It's waste of the peoples money for the
benefit of few favorites, and q shifting
of The proper responsibility from ofnoiai
shoulders to the shoulders of irresponsi-
Bile parties. The system of
EMPLOYING OUTSIDE COUNSEL.
in Government cases is of comparatively
modern date, and would be much more
honored in the breach than in the obser-
vance The district attorneys should be,
and in most cases are, entirely competent
to conduct those prosecutions, and il
they are not they should be replaced by
others Who are. The district attorney
sustains peculiar relations to the govern
ment and the people. While he is the
officer of the government he is also the
representative of the people, and he
should neither indict or prosecute any
citizen unless in his judgment there has
been an infraction of the law by the
accused. Hired counsel have no such
responsibility, or if they have they never
exercise it.
THE EFFECT OF THESE PROSECUTIONS
will be TO embi,ter and more closely con.
solidate the white people of the State
and keep them unit in future elections
There is no doubt that If the Liberal
movement ever had chance, which with
its leaders and environments don't con-
ceive TO be the fact this is its death. knell.
] don't think the thing ever had any
life in it.
A great deal has been said about bal
lot boz stufiing and fraudulent election
returns. There is doubtless much truth
in the assertions in regard to it, but it
should be remembered that the Republi-
cans when in power in this State in 1870
lnauguTated both those systems, and all
that can be said now is that the whites
have bettered their instructions.' l did
not approve of it then nor do defend it
now, but it is simple fact that the avs
tenn did not originate with the Demo
cratic party in South Carolina. AS to
NATIONAL POLITICS
there is no intelligent and honest man
that will pretend there is any difference
in the principles of the two existing par
ties. Practically the Federal Govern
ment is neither carried on by tho States,
the people or the departments of the
Government, but by The corporations.
The Republican party i their agent and
attorney in fact, and many leading men,
bers Of tho Democratic party, especially
in the Eastern and Middle States, occu.
py the same position. The present tariff
is the most abomina6lu, outrageous and
tyrannical that ever found its place on
human statute-bo 1t remains there
not only by the votes of the Republicans
and the Democrats from the Eastern and
Middle States, cut strange rs it may
! seem, by the Democrats from South
Carolina: Louisiana and other parts of
the South. South Carolina has literally
sold her birthright for
MESS OF POTTAGE,
85 per cent. ad rolorem on rice And to
| give this bonus to three or four hundred
rice planters, part of her representa-
tives consent that the remaining million
of her people shall pay not only that tax
on the rice they consume, but upon every
other article in human life, from the
swaddling band on the child to the
shroud upon the old man in his coffin.
Our merchant marine has been protected
by it-off the ocean. Our navy is
myth, our citizens in foreign lands are
robbed and imprisoned, and receive not
the slightest attention from the Fedora.
Government. for the best possible reason
that the Federal Government has no
power to protect them. Our navy con-
sists of secretary of the navy, admirala,
| rear admirals, cOmmodorea, captains and