The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1885-08-26
Law and Liberty in the State.

defiance, the bully prevails, murdcrcrs
are UNPUBLISHED, helpless men ure shot
down remorseicssly, the laws are utter
II ignored, from Governor to Constable,
the law officers Of the State are afraid
to do their duty, murders arc com
mitted and Coroners and Trial Justices
mover report the cases, Grand Juries
never indict and petit juries can and
would not convict Sherihs fear or favor
the criminal class, and no man respects
the law.
Is it possible that such n state OF
things exists in South Carolina? Can j,
be that the men who did 80 much for the
political and moral redemption Of the
State are poweless TO protect the life
and property Of the citizens Z? and that
the men sworn to execute the laws are
aiding and abbetting the men who vio-
late them 1? do not believe it, and ]
deny TINT there is more crime in South
carolina to-day than in any other sec.
ton Of the Union and I assert that no.
where are the laws more speedily on
forced than here. Those papers TINT
are making statements to tue contrary,
through mistaken zeal for the good of
the State, are doing our people an in
jury that they can never repair. A few
years ago a desperate man killed anoth-
). er ina personal en- :ounter. in a county
in this State. Perhaps n hundred men
had been killed in n similar way in
other parts Of the country and
nothing Was known of it ont Of the imme-
diate locality Of the killing. but here
the crime became a great State question.
The military was called into
requisition and excitement was
kept Mt fever heat for days and
weeks. The columns Of the daily and
weekly papers were filled with graphic
account Of the doings of the murderer,
and his bold defiance Of the law. Cor
respondents Of Northern and Western
papers used the wires freely. and the
accounts furnished created the impress
sion throughout the country that dis
order prevailed in all that part Of South
Carolina where the murder had been
committed. A short while after this
excitement had been subsidized a young
South Carolinian visited the financial
centres Of the North to borrow money
for the farmers Of his county He was
fully equipped with credentials as to
his integrity and responsibility. and
was very courteously received. The
collateral he offered-improved real
estate, was admitted to be gilt edge, the
prosperity of the State was acknowl-
edged, and the young man thought his
mission was accomplished and congrntu-
lated himself upon its successful termi-
mination. One of the capitalists present
at the interview unrolled a map Of
f. South Carolina, and pointing 10 the
place where the murder | have mem
toned was committed, asked how far the
farmers, who desired to borrow money.
lived from that locality. The young
man replied less than fifty miles, and
the cspalist said, "Well. sir, we can
LEND NO MONEY IN THAT sEcr1oS.~
There was no more peaceful country
h that on Gods green earth, but no
amount Of explanation could remove the
Impression on that mans mind that
neither life nor property were safe in
that part Of South Cnrolina.
II Northern journals make the state.
ment'that our people are not law-abii-
ing, q papers quickly and properly re-.
sent it,:and in the same spirit and for tn.
Same r~eason-that it is untrue-I denv
that lawiessness prevails in any part of
South Carolina, and say that the law il
(: stronger than any individual. | assert.
that no State has an executive who
administers the law with more tirlnness
and promptness than Governor Tho,np.
on and the law and the officers of the
courts are equal and fearless in til. dis
charge-of their important duties as the
Chief Executive Of the State. That
crimes are sometimes committed no one
will deny, and that the prisoner some.
times escapes the penalty Of his Grim.
in'South Carolina is equally true. bu,
that this is the rule in the State il not
only untrue, but the statement in itself
IL a crime against the people of South
Carolina, whose good name is injured by
such unfounded reports. [ assert tina,
every promise made by Wade Hampton.
in l876 haa hoon f,I6IInj. 80
blessed peace promised us by that
grand old leader has been realized, and
thst the State is now entering upon mr.
era OF plenty and prosperity neve,
before known in her history, and that i,
,sthe direct result Of the peaceful and
happy Condition Of her pcoplc.-Rich.
EuUU in In1usf0 Tbroo;cyo