The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1891-12-03

Ceoai SpfluSS IuStilut0 is a credit to
tne state. IL has such an atmosphere
OIL love anu Kindness about it that it
does one good to see 1t. Its mnnaoa-
ment reflects great ere ut on the ho:srd
Of commissioners and the jealous sr.
pernle 1denC. / think the Genera, AS.
lhuly can confidently graft all Tie
= ohey asked by these gentlemen with
the assurance that it Will be used iudi
;iously.
The Governor speaks Of Clemson
College and the industrial School for
w omen, but as extracts from Ills re-
marks on the lorm|r has already been
published i'll these columns it is not
necessary to republiSh them. or the
for women he recommends that
an ACT be passed providing Tor the foun-
datiOu and future hhrral support a
State Industrial and Normal College
for Women, conditioned upon the ac-
ceptance and fulijlmcnt Of some one Of
the Oilers recently made by dinerent
cities aud toWuS. The GovernOr thinks
that alter the Clemson college shall
have gotten well under way and equip
ped, in four or live years AZ most, there
will be enough money now going TO
that school to run it and also This girls
school without taxation.
TIE CRIMINAL LAW.
The Governor comments at length Oh
the criminal law. He says: Coutia-
uantes are granted upon the slightt st
pretext. Appeals are taken upou no
preteXt at all sometimes. and crime,
when backed by money, appears to over
ride or break through the meShcs of the
law with such impunity, that it is no
wonder that our citiZeUS have at liues
forgotten themselves and taken the
law into their own hands. | give as iu-
stances Of Justice long held at bay, The
Turner and Sem eases in Spartanburg,
the James case in DaripgLOp, and the
Jones case in Edgelield. Que remedy
which desire to suggest is, that the
ntle5, which l. have every reason to
believe now are sometimes tanpered
with or liked beforehand, shall be
drawn in open court for the next term
after the Judge in person Suali have eX-
amlneu the boxes aud Seen that every
thing is coccect. In the prosecution of
criminal cases tbs solicitor is always 1T
disadvantage. lie is often confront
ed 10y the ableSt lawyers at the ba. who
live in the county and are acQuain. d
with witnesses, Jurors, etc. But these
dllllCultlcS are frequently overcome Hnd
verdictS OBJ .,ined III spite Of them. The
MAN reason why so many crimes go
are not properly prepared for tue SO!ici-
tor hy the trial justices or corouer. If
the Office OF cOr0uer were digullieG add
the salary or fees made commensurate
SO as to make it desirable ollice; if it
were h!led by a competent lawyer,
whose duty it should be to Investigate
all deaths caused by violence, collect
evidence, prepare the case, and act as
assistant prosecutor III his county,
we would have many a man convicted
who now goes scot free. Then, if trial
Justices were required to attend court
and help the solicitor in cases where
taey have held preliminary examina.
ton, it would add largely TO the list Of
conVlctlo IS. Another abuse is, that in
stead OF prisoner under sentence, and
IN whose case appeal has been taken,
being required to be brought iuto court
at the next term for resentencc, thu )
entalllng expense upon the county for
maintenance, the sentence should be
executed as soon as the Supreme Court
shall have dismissed the appeal. Then
there should be strict and mandatory
legislation prohibiting judge from
continuing acaSe that huu been once
continued, except under extraordinary
circumstances. Another is to make il
obligatory upon tue Supreme Court to
dlSDar any attorney who takes an ap.
peal on frivolous grounds. 1t has come
10 the pass that an appeal is almost q
matter or course, and ii stay of proceed
ings follows.
LiQUOE LICENSES.
desire to direct your attention to q
question Of great importance, with
which the welfare OF society and Tie
economical administration Of the gov.
ernmenC are closely Connected. 1t is
tue matter Of licensing the sale of liquor
Without entering into any discussion OF
tho prohibition question, will call your
attention to gross inequality and in.
justice to part of our citizens, entailed
bY the present system. Section 1892 OF
the General Statutes read: mo license
tor the sale Of Intoxicating liquor shall
be granted by any municipal authority
III any city, town or village in this state
except upon the payment by the per
son applylDE for tnG same to the treas
urer OF the county i'll which said city or
town is situated the sum of 500 in ad
dltion to the license charged by such
city, town or village, for the use of said
county, to be applied to the ordinary
expenses of the county"
1t Will be seen that, by this provision
Of law, only q small proportion Of the
tax derived from the sale of LIQUOR goes
to the general fund. Now, While | do
not believe that it is practicable, or even
desirable, to attempt the absolute pro-
hlbition Of the sale of liquor in this
State, no sensible man VIII deny that
one-half or threeCourths Of the crimes
committed in the State, are traceable
directly to the drinking Of whislley. In
order to punish these crimes, the ma
chinery OF the law is set in ,uotion
The courts are supported by general
taxation, and largely ~ the country
people, and yet the state permits mn
nlclpal corporations to maintain or Ii.
cense what many men regard as a nui
Sances and breeders Of crime, while two
| thirds or three fOurLhS Of the money &C
cruing theretrOm is retained by the cor.
poratlons. The anomalous con,itior
is presented then Of Il community al
lowing itself to be mjusty taxed as =
whole for the suppression Of crime
produced by the action Of part---tht
TAX being largely for local benefit, while
the abuse is general. The people in the
country not only pay tribute to those
who sell liquor,-by means OF which
the towns are beautllieu and adorned
h lN.. 4