The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1885-09-23
9Ha FAtKttEtD aNEuULA46asD.
What the Grind Jury of the @ tntS Sat
about Them and Their Doings.

about Them and Their Doings.
The final prcsentmcnt Of the grand
jury for Fairfield county, made at tho
recent term of Court, contains the fol-
lowing remarks ON the SO called "licg-
ulators" in that county:
We have grnvcly considered The re-
marks of his Honor the presiding
Judge, in his opening charge, touching
alleged violations of the law by bands
of persons styling tlcmSelves-or term
cd by Observation-Disclosures. Beyond
the statements made by the presiding
Judge, and the accounts which have
been published in the ncwspa Jcrs, we
nave no Information upon this subject.
1t seems to DC the general belief that
those "lacgulators" have gone quite
beyond the pale OF the law, and this,
surely, muse DC cause of profound re-
grct, not to say the deepest concern to
all ~law-abiding and orl%cr,loving pco-
pie. Were we in possession of the
facts necessary us the foundation Of
any prcscntmcnt-h had we any informal.
ton which VIC could shape into II sug-
S~estion-wc should not hesitate to
bring the matter TO the immediate at
tcntion of the Court. But these facts
and this information arc alike wanting
in tho present instance.
Much as we regret our inability to
set in motion the machinery of the law,
for the punishment and suppression of
the acts to which your Honor has
alluded, we are yet gratificd to know
that all the ordinary agencies Of the
law, for the correction of any evils,
arc here in easy reach of every citizen,
from the highest to the lowest. The
course of justice, rs administered by
our officials, of whatever rank, is alike
untaintcd by corruption and unim.
pcdcd by personal considerations. We
doubt not that upon complaint made
by the alleged victims of the unlawful
acts Of the so-callcd "Rcgulators", any
and all of our magistrates will prompt
~ issue the warrant proper upon the
information given under oath. That
warrant in the hands of the proper
officer would find prompt and easy
execution. While, as we have said,
we dcplorc and condemn the resort to
any means other than lawful means
for the correction Of any evil, how
ever great, VIC are yet glad to DC able
to congratulate the people of the
county upon the assurance they ma
feel that the law is yet supreme,
and that its enforcement is vet unat-
tended with delay or with difficulty.
Your Honor having, in that portion
of your charge touching tic conduct OF
the so-callck "Rcgulators", alluded to
the alleged causes Of their unlawful
proceedings, We may he permitted to
add n word upon this head. If it is
true, az has been stated in the public
prints, that misccgcnation is the evil
that has thus tempted the citizen tC
take the law in his own hands, we arc
confronted with u condition of things
scarcely less doporablc than tho means
alleged to have been employed by these
the victims of these alleged outrages
are white mcu who have been living ii
adultery with negro women, i'm this
though it is no ercuSc, for the lawlcss
ness in question. In that cause, We
are confronted with an evil that is a
once an insult TO our civilization and {
standing menace to our social order
While condcmning resort to unlawful
means TO rid society of those who thu.
do violence to every consideration o
duty and d%eccncy, il is nevertheless.
our desire To urge such al enforcement
of the law as will accomplish what il
is said these "ltcgulators" seek t.
bring about. Let the law agains,
adultery he so amended, if practicable
as TO remove the difficulties now at
tending the proof of the act Of adultc
ry. Let the facts necessary to consti
tute the crime be made easier to bt
adduced in the courthouse. Let som
official be specially charged with TIT
detection and reporting of offenders o
this class. Above all, let there be tina
condition of public sentiment which
shall render the commission of sucl
offences a sure means of forfeiting SO
cial recognition as well as the privi
legcs Of good citizenship, In such
state of feeling, we doubt not the evil
complained Of would speedily disap
pear, without the lawlcss Intervention
of the so.callcd 'ltcgulators".
Killed by n Falling Tree.