The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-12-12

ing of commissioners named and ap-
pointed by the Legislature or Cover
nor.
"Police officers are in fact State or
public officers and not private Or cor
porate officers and provision in such
a law transferring to such commission
ers for the purpose of the new police
the use of the police telegraph, station
houses, watch boxes, etc.. provided by
the city, is valid, since it only takes
city property dedicated to a particular
use and applies it to the same purposes
changing only the agency by which
the use is directed, the property is still
the city's." Hundreds of cases could
be cited going to show that police Of
ficers are in fact State officers and not
municipal, although particuler city
or town be taken to pay them. The
office of police was unknown to the
criminal law. It is enacted by statute.
He as an officer of the State in which
he exercises his Office. Bulk VS.. Hard
wick, 3Oth East. "a.
The Supreme Court of Connecticut
uses this language: "A policeman of a
city is public officer, holding his office
as a trust from the State and not as a
matter of contract between himself and
the city" Having thus shown con-
clusively that policemen are State
officers, it remains for you to provide
the necessary machinery for compell-
ing them to do their duty. 1t is inn
possible to enforce any law in the cities
peaceably and quietly unless the police
are in sympathy with it, and in order
to make them SO, they must not be de-
pendent for their appointment upon
mayors and aldermen elected by oppo-
nents of the law
In some of our towns ex-barkeepers
are made policemen for the expressed
purpose of protecting their former as
sociates with whom they are partners
in the illicit liquor traffic. If this re-
commendation for metropolitan police
were an innovation, there would be
some grounds for objection, but it has
been tried successfully in nearly every
State in the Union and there isno rea-
son why it should not be done in our
own State. 1t is no longer a question
of expediency, but of absolute neces-
sity. The pride of tho patriotic law
maker should be the enactment of such
laws as will secure the greatest happi-
ness to the greatest number of people
without regard to the welfare of poll
ticians.
This is an age of corporations and
laws should be passed carefully guard
ing the interests of individuals against
the encroachments necessarily attend
ant upon the growth of artificial per-
sons and the expressions of corporate
wealth. One of the greatestevils of the
day is this desire to incorporate any
and everything. The merchant who
desires to avoid liability to his credit
ors beyond the capital invested finds an
escape in the chartered company. Sci
fish neighborhoods desiring to tax the
values of farm products, who compete
with them find a way in the incorpo-
rated cross road. The greatest proper
ton of the time our General Assem-
bly, is taken up chartering all manner
of widest schemes and country vii
lagos and school districts. All of these
companies can be chartered under
general laws and they should not be
allowed to enter the General Assembly.
Nine cases out of ten the State is put
to greater expense than is ever real
lied from the company.
The practice of usury by our bank
ing institutions is becoming alarming,
and is unjust to both borrower and
lender. While our farmers are grow
ing poorer from five cents cotton, the
banks continue te declare dividends
ranging from eight to fifteen per cent;
It is a matter of congratulation that
our banks withstood the late panic
without failure and we should en-
courage them, but an honest banker
who is satisfied with what the law al
lows him has no desire to be compared
with the shylock, who, by foulest usu-
nv. is enabled to make a better show
ing of profits. Our legal rate is high
enough, only three States in the I'm
ion having a higher one, and our laws
should be amended so as to allow only
7 per cent, by special contract, and
cause the lender who practices usury
to forfeit both interest and debt. I'm
fortunate debtors will agree to pay
any rate of interest in order to save
themselves and to keep the wolf from
the door. No agricultural people can
live with usurious creditors. From
Moses to the present time usury has
been forbidden, and Tacitus gives as a
reason for the decay of Rome, the eva
sion of the interest laws. When U.S.
ury lorded among them, Rome dates
the beginning of her downfall.
It is not only practiced by our bank
ers. but among our merchants and fac
tors. It remains for you to protect
the borrowers by more stringent reg
ulations, at the same time giving to
the honest lender full and ample Sc
curity under the law.
Almost every department of the State
government having been reformed
there is one which has not received
your attention-the States prisoners.
These unfortunate creatures are COM
1nitted to our State penitentiary for
punishment and not depreciation.
While, of course, there can be no such
punishment without degradation, still
it is the province of government and OF
Christianity to rescue the fallen, and
if possible to restore them to society.
There are 2O6 prisoners in the peniten-
flaw of the class known as Juvenile