The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-08-20
is SOUTH CAROLINA LAwLEss 2


Is SOUTH CAROLINA LAwLEssa
The article from the Curolina Spartan
upon the state of law and order &c
South Carolina, is doubtless meant for q
good purpose, and is intended to represn
lawlessness in all of its forms, but our
contemporary will excuse us for dissent
ing from ito estimate of the condition OF
the peace Of the State, and from the
reasons which ne assigns for the condi.
ton of things which he portrays. There
IS, we submit, no reign Of the bully and
NO spirit of lavlessncss in South Caro-.
lima. There have been, as far as our
information goes, no more murders in
this State during tho present year than
during any year since the war, and not
as many as occurred during many of
these years. Other crimes in the State
have also largely decreased. In South
Carolina there are no moro crimes than
are to be found In most, If not NIL of the
other States of the Union, and the class
of crimes here are not go despicablo and
demosalizing as those which blot the
civilization of many States, which make
q great deal of comment upon the
Southern civilization. We think, there.
fore, that it is mistake TO seek to correct
the violation Of law by putting forth the
idea that the State Is subjected to reign
of terror. We know of no case in which
the machinery Of the law has not been
put into operation to punish crime. In
tho case of Laurens County, there is, per.
happ, just idea in the public mind that
the sheriff ought TO be more vigorous In
the discharge Of his duties in some casea,
but that Is q matter which should be
specifically pointed out, and not saddled
on to tho whole State. In the Instance
of the Oconeo killing, the sheriff, who
had started to Columbia on business,
stopped Immediately ami arrested the
man who did the killing, and kept him
in custody until he was bailed by the
Circuit Judge. He now awaits trial by
due course of law. There has certainly
: been no default on the part of citizens of
OconeG. IS Il.
The 6partap, we are satisfied, errs in
! it's belisl, when IL aeys:. ave believe
the reason such a state of affairs preyails,
is because oil our peace officers, from the
Governor down to. the constable, are
afraid 10 use all The means in their power
I to repreas such crimes aud aunish the
criminals." The peace officers If South
Carolina are, as o class, neither towards
or negligent in the discharge Of their
duty. The Governors of this State since
1876 have neyer shirked any official duty,
and Governor Thompson is no exception
to the rule. From the very first day,
\ that he was inangurated, when he
Furnished aid to the Sheriff Of Aiken to
guard DIR. Sims from being lynohsd, to
4 the present. time, his record has been that
OF q prompt, courageous and faithful ex.
ecatiye. 8 He did not hesitate when the
Sheriff of Lexington applied for aid, to
send d posae and arrest for trial che anti,
stock Law rioters, who were defying the
law aud committing ontragea in Lexing.
ton County and be! did not hesitate
when he had the evidence that the Sheriff
OF Chesterfield was not aotipg to send q
podse and crtah out tho Cash insurrection
there. In the5s instances there might
/ have been sone reason TO be afraid to
act, but such reason did not prevent the
stIoyelnor from doing bis whole duty, It
would Be impossible for the Spartan TO
show tho commission of.;a single crime
In this State during Gov. Thompson's .
Standardization, which he has not fully on.
ecuted Tho law aai far as II has been con-
ddsd 70 Tho GoscrIof. Tie petition Of
which lhe Spartan speaks, was doubtless
properly disposed o.. but. We submit that
&c would be we'll fol our contemporary TO
fsve ths csss and let the public ses what
sflis Governor shas done. srith the facts
Gle pub S lfe could decide, but oir coasepi.
tsSfisry pslgl MOTTO attack the Governor
fors Is fs aetna oil an SnnkaoWn petition,
slIen lis admit TINT he does rot know
silSt aeefoa the Governor took about It.
4fia csnvcE1os ratsn not remove 6 sheriff,
nnit tlssf car be 81 a sonslab bnlarY force
III Ssxactit aha laws into any county,
sstslssS shs I, Spii III 81 issucil county Is,
81 pnise jes or s!lsseas discharge his;
sIssss obey Tho lavsl