Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1883-03-15
A Courteous but conscientious
Grand Jury.

Grand Jury.
Our Grand Jury for the year 1888
were discharged on Thursday after
noon cf last week, after four days of
hard and useful work. As will
be- seen by reference to their Re-
port, published in another column,
they were courteous but conscien.
tious. In plain English, they
were very sensible and very brave.
And in effect they certainly backed
up the ADVERTISER in its late advice
to our County officials concerning the
publication of their annual reports,
and in it's reminder to the County
Commissioners that their economy,
in certain respects, although we'll
meant was not wise, and did not par.
ticularly meet the appreciation Of the
people. The law requiring the pub
lication of The Treasurer's Reports of
the disbursements Of the public
moneys, although adding largely to
the official duties of that officer, is
one that must be satisfactory to the
general public. From the report Of
audited accounts published by the
County Commissioners, no taxpayer
can for moment tell who has and
who has not received money. The
mere fact of auditing accounts is no
indication that said accounts are
paid. It is the Treasurer's Report
which shows at q glance into whose
pockets tAee~paid out money has found
;,ls way.
The recommendation as to the i'm
provement of our Court House is a
progressive movement in the right
direction. The present Court House
is large enough and convenient
enough, but decidedly shabby and
ill.furnished. That is shabby in its
want Of fresh paint and whitewash.
The walls, the door and window fac.
ings, the Bench of the Judge, and
the Desk of the Clerk, and the benches
upon which the aSdience sit, are all
painfully dirty. They are strong
enough and we'll constructed enough
but they are dark and dingy. And
the new overhead ceiling Of the Court
room has never felt the touch of the
painters brush. Our Clerk of Cour
is neat man and a conscientious
one; bat no amount Of cleaning that
he may, and does, have done with
scrubbing brush and broom, can make
any show amid so much filthy old
paint and whitewash. In short the
condition OF our Court House is not
in keeping with the prosperity and
progress of our County. This ought
MOTTO be; and we are glad to see our
Grand Jury progressive enough to
make the movement towards having
Of egazty strangers form
their estimates of the enterprise and
progressiveness Of its citizens.
That; there should be school
checks uncalled for and undeliv.
ered-through a course of two or
three years-is a fact that must have
fallen heavily upon certain teachers
weak women perhaps with no one
to look after. such matters for them.
1t is comfort to know that our
Poor House is well kept; and GER
tainly it is a matter of pride that so
large county as Edgefeld has but
ten paupers.
As regards the rebuke Of the Grand
Jury to our Town Council, we are
only surprised that it was not sharp
er and more comprehensive. When a
man is elected on the Town Council
Of Edgefeld, God seems to at once
paralyze his head, his heart, his hands
all his parts and all his senses. Or
at least this paralysis strikes him.
We doubt, however, that God has
anything to do with it.