The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-06-26
MR., LANIER IN REPLY.
In Justice to Him the Following Ar.
ticIe IL Published.


Editor Press and Banner: ,
Ww aitantion has been called TO your com.
wants nm the preSentment OF lhS sranu jury
at the last term OF the court, IN Wnlch you
.nimadyert upon what seems 10 you an IN
consistency on my part as foreman OF tne
rand iury which gave 1t as their opinion
that the practice OF letting OUT tne na,n l tn
ance of the paupers of the county 10 the low
est bidder is "iI advised ahq s1ouiu mne ee oT the
BOARD of County Commissioners Whlcn lei
onI The present contract Tor that Purpose,
and after indulgIng In no inconslaeraoie
,monnt of characteristic vaporing, you add
.anI th,Is IL Is that Mr.. Lanier. as foreman oI
.ihe grand Jury, condemns, in public pre-
sentiment his act as County commission; oe.
..ing perhaps the most remarkable oniclai ac'
ION record. ..a, ,ho ro,,ty
.SnneryIsor 10 annul q contract lnto wnlcn
..thp foreman of the grand jury enteren Wnen
"he was County ConimisS,onen ah onn &C - wnat
nnrtion of the presentment you nave refer.
snce to when you charncterlze IL as perhaps
Ihe most remarkable official ACT on rec9ra.
Tr vnu have allusion to the lact tnaC nave
cbanved nv mind as To the advisaoility OF
IeiIimg out the maintenance OF the pauperS
~ The lowest bidder after seeing Inc practicai
workings of the plan for lhe last Two years
then | must disagree with you When you
cho racterize that fact as "reniar kable' as all
wiSe Tnen are open to conviction and some
times change their minds. but iools never.
But perhaps you had reference 10 Wnht yEu
assert fhe grand jury did. but which Is not the
'aSe IN Wit srecom mend the County Supervl-
Sor TO annul contract lnto Wnlcn lhe lore-
man of the grand jury entered when ne was
County ConmlssioneLL. ,f Il Ws we're G fact T. that
ihe Grand Jury had been SO unmindfui OF the
hio, resnect due 10 an ex-CouptY Commls-
.joner as 10 recommend the annulling Oh an
nfBrial act done by HIM while occupying SO
ounItad a nositiop as that Of County Commits
sioner for Abbeville county, then possibly !.
might deserve TO be characterized as 'mosi
remarkable' but fortunately ior Tue goou
na,na nd reputation of Abbevile county Ler
neonIe and especially that class from whlch
her grand Jurors are drawn have 100 inuch re-
spect for the officials and even hec eA-ollclals
10 be betrayed into any seeming ultespect to-
ward any one of such; should this latter
view of the matter be the correct one, and II
H. we're really on that account you were led TO
cha racterze the matter as you dio, tnen a.
low me TO thank you before ! lorset II ioI
vonr readiness TO show your disapproval oi
what YOU understood 10 Indicate want OF
Sne reSpect on the part of the grand jury OF
Abbeviile county 10 one OF her eX-county Oh
Rnt seriouslly: Mr.. Editor, as matter OF
fact the grand jury did not recommend the
County Supervisor 10 ennul contract lhto
which the foreman OF the grand jury entered
when he was County commissioner out
merely gave II as their opinion that the prac-
Iice was "ill advised and should be ABANDON
ed"
According to your own statement, the pres
ent Contract for the maiu tenance of the pau
ners expires on the 3lst day OF OCTOBER next,
and IL does seem that any one, not entirely
destitute of reason, should have been able 10
have underst ood that, II the suggestion OF the
yrand Jury were acted upon, 1t could not pos
sibIy go into effect until the present contract
Terminated.
Of ,he presentment bearing on the subject OF
the removal of RATS. logs, &C., from The water
courses you say. "Perhaps the most stun.
ming paragraph of the presentInent IL that In
reference 10 the streams" NOW, let us exam
ine and see what the grand jury said on this
subject which was SO stunning to the editcr
of the Press and Banner. In section No. OF
the presentment they say; LON mpIalnt M mas
been made to us Uy persons In dlHerent Sec
lions of the county that the law In reference
| to the removal OF raits. logs, &C, from tue
water courses has not been complied with.
| we trust that the County Supervisor will see
that the law in this particular is carried out.
There doesn't seem to be anything stunning
about this but H. has been SAID that 10 man
conscious of having committed crime the
nennlty for which Is death by hanging, the
mere sight of a rope produces an unpleasant
senSatou-has more or less stunning ei.
feet" upon his nerves MI light II not be mat
the ..stunning' effect of that paragraph in the
presentment of the grand jury Hes In lhe tact
that the person thereby stunned has n snspi-
cion that he is one OF those OF whom COM
plaint was made In this particular.
You further state that, NOW an mat!er Oh
| fact The grand jury would find IL exceedingly
hard to find scintilla of law authorizing
them 10 hear such complaints"
| TINS last statement on your part betrays an
amount OF ignorance as TO the province, pow.
ers and duties of the grand jury not supposed
| TO exist in the mind OF any sane man.
Why, my dear sir, DO you not IL know now ina, i,rr IL
| 10 Zee that the county officials do their duty
and that the laws are carried out and respect
ed? They are often deslg nateu the rlghl arm
| of lhe court, the grand police Of the county,
ana it Is to that body, above all others. lo
whom complaint should be made OF any and
| ali infractions of the law or want OF compii-
anre herewith.
| The law requires that all RATS, logs. &C.,
| shall be removed from the running streams
during the months of May and August OF
| each Year, and this not having been done by
| those of whom complaint was made, during
the month of May, II was eininently proper
| that the grand jury call attention 10 the tact
| i'm their presentmenL at the June term of
court in order that the matter might be at
tended TO during the month OF August, as
there would not be another term OF court un.
I'll after that time.
W. a. Lanier Foreman.