The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1894-04-05
The Poos1st Excuso.

LIE 6neffH Oh Iho Souhey ASH~""'
to say to- Mr.. Pearson, that 81 far as
the cs.unty and State officials are con.
, cerned, they are not the "one,eyed"
officials who are to blame for the ex-
istence Of the "blind tigers" in our
midst, but that the responsibility is
largely with the "one.eyed" jurors
who mis- try the cases that the officials
work up with sufficient proof to con
Vict them.-People's Advocate.
It would have been as we'll to have
left Mr.. Pearson's charge where it
was. It would have been better. 1t
was improper and unbecoming in Mir.
Pearson to be holding up to public
ridicule and censure as zone eyed"
officials the conscientious, honored
and trusted officials of the county. II
he really desired to do good, and did
not object to spoiling sensation, or
curtailing his own glory, it would
have been easy and convenient for
him, or his inforlner, to have frat seen
the 'one-eyed" officials, and in all
kindness and love, Investigated the
matter. Then if the facts justified,
give them reproof, admonition and
warning. "Do not speak evil of the
rulers of the people" because some of
the Audience would be glad to hear it,
having voted for others.
But the poor sheriff thought he
had to bring somebody else into the
category with him, when he should
not have been in the category at all.
| But il was unfortunate that he should
put part Of the blame on the juries.
Finding fault with jury is like find
ing fault with the weather. Juries
never do wrong except when they
take bribes, and they don't do that in
this country. If Mr. Pearson and tha
sheriff will read the testimony in all
the cases tried in Anderson for viola.
ting the dispensary law, and then
hear the law as the jury heard it,
they will find the came verdict. Shor.
if 3 and juries have little to do with
making law, but they are bound by it
as much as prison,rs are bound bv
jails.
| Mr. Pearson's preaching hns done
much good, but his criticism of pub
lie officers and juries will do harm
, There would be just as much sense il
his hopping on the circuit judge; fol
the zone, eyed" officials to which he re
fers. are as good as the Judge and {
Wholesale p,fl lie arraisnment of then
is>unfair and harmful, and calculated
to subvert the institutions which the
words and conduct of all good people
should support. If he must take a
hand in abuse and ridicule, he should
n"me his ''oneeyed" Official, time,
place and circumstances, then the
sheriff would not have to say "it wasn't
me" bnt could go after the guilty man
and let him defend.
The high-toned, moralizing press
and a few distinguish preachers
often set themselves in order to bring
contempt upon the constituted auth
critics, and in this itstance the sheriff,
in order to clear his own skirts, fol-
lows suit, aiding in the glorious work
by putting the same stamp Of ridiculo
and contempt upon the jurors who
had taken Il solemn oath to hear and
try the cases according to the law and
the evidence. Juries try cases, dis.
band AID mingle with the people,
and none but the keeper of the rolls
can tell who they woro. Reproach
and criticism cannot reach them.
But the courts remain and tho off.
cials remain, and no good can come
to the church from promiscuous abuse
Of the constituted authorities.
"One-oyed" newspapers and officials
make the same mistake of exposing
to ridicule the work Of the church b,
unnecessary and often unjust accusa
tons against ministers and Other
church workers. Common sense
, reason and decency arc the only saf
guides.