The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1891-12-01

vide at once rer rennps ea, !, NECESSARY 10 pro-
to- Vote an ppertSn1hiHSAhose persons entitled =
in time FOR the maSleipsssff s& ssss !, Ss.'ii aSisS
comes of December Sth proSimo.
And while mentioning this matter or ILLEGAL
realstration. would call attention TO the Jact
That In several Counties. as l am informed,Sa,
Z, 1890, were issued fraudulentiy after the
books closed last July, and 1 recommend the
bearing That date Illegal In the Counties OF
Rlchland, Fairfield, sumter and Berkeley.
The Criminal Law.
AS the duties OF my office bring me into in
Innate connection with the P~enltentiary, and
the matter OF pardons being also n source of
constant labor and worry, | have had my at
%tcntion directed to certain defects i'm the Grim.
inal law, TO which 1 ask your attention. 1.-THE
laws delay" has been N matter OF complaint
for centuries. aud there have been OF late SO
punish the most flagraut crimes. and, If ut all,
AFTER the, patience OF The people has become
upon The Legislature the necessity OF some
changes. Continunnces are granted upon tho
backed by money. appears to override or
IMMUNITY, that IL is IS n" Wonder that IA on" our W si,,n
zens have ut times forgotten themselves ana
taken the law INTO their own hands.
bay the Turner and Sem cases I'm Spartan
9nrg, the lanes csSe in Darlington and the
One remedy which l desire to suggest is,
that the Juries, which 1 have every reason to
a.. ~, NY '"''ipS'S' WV VI
liked" beforehand, shall he drawn In open
Court for the next term. after the Judge IN
person shall have cNainincd the boxes and
seen that everything is correct,
n the prosecutiot' OF criminal cases tho So
licitor Is always NJ Il disadvantage, He Is Of
ten confronted by the ablest lawyers at tho
bar, who live in tho County, and are nc-
these difficulties are frequently overcome and
verdicts obtained in spite OF them.
"unwhipt Of justice is that the cases are not
properly prepared for the Solicitor by the
IRA Justices or Coroner.
II The office OF Coroner were digniHed and
The salary or fees made commensurate so as
by II competent lawyer, whose duty it should
be to investigate all deaths caused by vio-
act as assistant prosecutor in his County, wa
would have many II man convicted who now
CURED To attend Court and help the solicitor
In cases where they have held II preliminary
examination, 1t would add largely to tue list
Another abuse is, that instead of n prisoner
been taken. being required to be brought into
Court at the next term for rcsent cnce, thus
tenance, the sentence should be executed rs
soon as heSuprcinc Court shall have dismiss
Then there should be strict and mandatory
legislation prohibiting II Judge rom c%ontinu-
ing u case mat had been once continued, en-
cept under extraordinary circumstances.
Another is TO make 1T obligatory upon the SUI
preme Court to dishar, nLy attorney. VINO
takes an appeal on frivolous grounds. 1t has
coIue to the pass that nm appeal is almost II
matter OF course, and Il stay of proceedings
follows.
In reference to the punishment of criminals
| desire to direct attention to the advantages
ln Il rclormatory sense OF what is known rs
the indeterminntc sentence, which obtains
under Inherent conditions in Massachusetts
New York and other Northern States. Socic-
" for its protection against crime has enacted
a code of laws for It's punishment, ana the
nifty from n repetition hy incarcerating the
prisoner. The next object should be the ref
ormation OF the criminai and his restoration,
II that be possible. Under the arbitrary ipsc
dtf OF nJndge great wrongs are often com
portion to the enormily OF the crime i'm
posed.
Tie system TO which + aIludc provides n
maximum and minimum punishment for tho
different classes OF crime. The prisoner when
Judge, but he can by his behaviour in prison
reduce or '""rcasc the punishment by giving
]s sHt%sine /. d H.s }G!"F 70 +" ra h"rns"e Tna rfi pW Ia 'n %s
case imposes upon The prison authorities the
hniy. and gives them the power by n fixed ra-
ito, TO increase or diminish the prisoners
punishment in accordance with his behav-
Tor. The offender thus enters prison with ev-
cry incentive to reform anu crow better.
Another matter which | would strongly
urge is the incorporation OF Il requirement. in
the law that the Icnitcntinry Directors shall
separate all criminals under the age of six
teen, and such, others as shall exhibit eXccp-
that these classes be employed on the State
farm away nom The more hardened Grim
and its suppression, / viii briefly recall 10
yOnr attention the recent trouble in Tcnncs-
Sct, III WillCn the HtitiltlllS ol tuc SlNlN GOV
eminent was "vcrthlown and brought INTO
contempt. ! do THIS for the purpose of point
such a disgruceiul condition of affairs could
not happen IN Sou'h Carolina.
Tennessee has no militia, or comparatively
none, while we have an admirably organized
and efficient forcc-amply sufficient ut any
and all times to uphold the dignity of the law
and TO suppress violence, and / would there
fore urge that the General Assembly continue
IT'S fostering care of our militia establish
mcnt.
am glad TO say that during the year tho
law I'm the state has been supreme aud that
no person or prisoner has been %lynchcd. The
military has been called on only twice when
IL was thought there was danger, but the
presence of SO many efficient companies scat
tered over the State tends largely to the sup
preston OF disorder. The cost Of maintains
ing this establishment is very triiling when
compared with its benefits.
Another matter in this connection Is, that
there is no provision requiring County oNir.
sS%!n In by II sheriff in an emergency, "ud
I" %n,nnnnIr cause @h mSy d. be ., ntIrinmtsa SOM OF 1I9
commend that provision be made for the
RaEyment Of such services by the County
riiI to summon such additional deputies.
Railroad Control.
Owing to ~ difference OF opinion between
the Legislature and The Executive at the last
session, the railroad law failed and IL was too
late To amend the Act so that / could con-
Sc!cntiouSly approve it. | may he allowed to
express The hope that The differences of opin-
ION which then existed VIII be nmicably adj
just"d and q proper Bill passed. There arc
some points in the proposed law to which /
desire To direct attention and mmc To
your earnest cOnSidCratiDn. one is n proviS.
ion preventing the consolidation OF conpct-
ing lines. The absorption by lease or other.
wise has gone on until virtually there are
only four railrond systems in the State. AS
last as new lines are constructed they arc
bought up or leased by the older corporations,
ana many communities in the state which
are staggering under II heavy debt cont acted
TO- aid in the building oi competing lines arc
without the benefit OF ccmpciition.
Ihcrr are many more roads needed In
Sou'h Carolina, and they Will he built as the
state Increases IN population ana wealth.
Tho r'up"r steps should he taken at once to
relieve the state OF the oppression always in
cidcnt to monopoiicS by preventing their alb
S0rption.
The question OF the assessment of railroad
property has attracted widespread attention
during the year by reason OF the fact that
there has been an increase IN its valuation of
about SS,OOO, UOO. There has been complaint of
j LMlmsliCn In lllS mnllnr. hul whom | GILL YNur