Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1894-01-11
SIM0NTON'S OUTRAGE.
Democratic Foolishness in Trying
to Ruin the States Good Name.

Press and Banner.
We are glad to note that Judge
Simonton has rubbed out or backed
down from three-fourths of the
outrage which he committed on the
Charleston constables in requiring
bail of each of them in the sum of
$4,000. He now amends or con-
strues the order to mean $4,000 for
all four instead af $4,000 for each.
The constables in the course of
their duty had raided some of the
blind tigers of Charleston, and
among others one which was kept
! by a foreigner or unnaturalized
Citizen. Great stress is made about
1.-The unnaturalized citizen being in
terfered with, presumably for the
purpose of leading the people to
believe that such foreigners are not
iamenable to our laws, The fac is,
}if juries convict them of capital
| offence they may be hanged with
Iout leave or license from any ma
Elton.
The iniquity and injustice of
Dudge Simonton's excessive bail
may be better understood when it
lis known that the constables were
charged with q misdemeanor in
entering the sacred precincts of a
blind tiger, and disturbing the
serenity of the aforesaid quad
ruped.
& The average Judge in South Car
Eelina for-the last ten or twenty
years has been requiring bail Of
murderers, even those whose hands
We're still red with their victims
heart blood, in sums varying
usually from $1,000 to $4,000, and
yet Judge Simonton required
$4,000 bail of men who were earn
ing two dollars and who were in
ktTe discharge of their official duty,
and charged, with the grave offence
Of disturbing violators of the
Iliquor law.
SMe annals of the courts in this
country could hardly furnish a
/ parallel for such exercise of judi
cial cruelty and official spite. 1t
M sa saufrag stbatthe Judge
11'1imself recanted from three
fourths of the crime, and placed
the bond at $1,000 for each. If
there had been no politics in this,
and if the case had been carried
before Judge whose sense of fright
was allowed to prevail, the bond Of
these men would have been from
5000 to $500, and certainly not
over $500.
The constitution provides that
excessive bail shall not be re.
quired. Judge Simonton, in a
normal state Of affairs, we think
has justly made himself liable tc
Impeachment. No man who would
punish poor constable in requir,
ing excessive bail merely because
he hates the Governor of the State
is worthy of the high Office Of
United States District Judge.
AS matter of fact it looks as. i
the antis, with a singular unanim
ity, have determined to faster
Tillmaa and his crowd on th'
State forever, and Judge Simonto1
is acting in full keeping with thos'
who seek to exasperate the public
mind and to turn public sentimen
against US.
Even if there be day in three
years that the State officials have
not been attacked in some way, W.
feel quite sure that there has no
been a week in which spitefu
things have not been said.
Even when the State officials
were trying to refund the State
debt at a much lower rate OF inter
est, the papers were full of tall
which did nothing to strengthen
the credit Of the State. Although
the financial crisis was pendin!
and the country was ready for {
financial panic the continual fault
finding and bespattering of ou
credit WAS kept up until the las
bond was taken.
Now, the Legislature is being
abused, as if they were an aggre
CATION Of the worst men in th
y State.
If Georgia paper, or any othe
paper beyond the limits of thi
State wants a little free advertisin
in this part of the Lords vineyard
t all it has to do is to say somethin