The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-06-30
Presentment Of the Grand Jury.
To His Honor r. C. Watts, Presiding

all of the bills handed to us by the Solicit
tor, submit the following general pre-
sentiment:
At the last term of the Court a commit
tee of our number. consisting of J. B.
Leverett, j. d. McElroy and E. B. Rice,
were appointed to examine all the county
Offices with power to employ an expert
to assist them in the work. The said
committee has reported that they en-
ployed J: E. Breazeale, ESQ, to assist
them in the examination of all the offices
except the Office of the County Board of
Commissioners, of which Board he is the
attorney, and in the examination of this
Office they had the assistance of d. II.
Watkins, Esq.
From this committees report, we find
that all the county Offices have been
properly kept and all moneys received
have been properly accounted for.
In the examination of the offices by
this committee they report that they
found some difficulty in ascertaining
whether all the school funds had been
properly expended, arising from the fact
that the books of the County Superin-
tendent of Education were kept beginning
and ending with the scholastic year while
all the other officers accounts were with
the fiscal year. This is due to the fact
that the scholastic and fiscal years are not
the same. We can see no good reason for
making the scholastic year different from
the fiscal year, and therefore call the
attention of our members of the Legisla-
ture to this fact and suggest that they
make an effort to change the scholastic
year so as to conform to the fiscal year.
In the examination Of the reports of
Magistrates required by law to be made
monthly to the Clerk of the Court and
the Auditor the said committee find that
some of the Mp yistrates IaA. not made
such reports, except whom they had col
lected fines. This we do not think Is a
compliance with the law, and recommend
that in the future such reports be made
whether any lines have been collected or
not.
We are glad to note the effort Of the
County Board of Commissioners to have
good roads and desire to express our ap-
prevail OF the present plan Of working the
roads, to wit: by hiring ovsrseers and
hands. The cost Of working the roads
for the last fiscal year. which was fourteen
months, under this plan only exceeded
the cost of working them the fiscal year
previous, which was twelve months under
the contract system, about n thousand
dollars, and the result is much better
roads. We suggest, however, that the
County Commissioners endeavOr to have
all the roads worked earlier in the spring.
The accounts of maintaining the convicts
is kept by the County Supervisor under
the head of Public Roads, which includes
all the expenses Of working the roads.
For public information WE suggest that
he keep the accounts Of maintaining the
cOnvicts in q separate account.
We respectfully request the County
Board Of Commissioners to look closely
after parties who damage the public roads
by erecting dams on the sides OF the road
to prevent the escape OF water, and that
they take the proper steps to have such
distractions removed and to punish the
offenders.
We deplore the disposition Of some
parties since the recent decision of Judge
Simonton, U. S. Circuit Judge, in the
original package cases, to open barrooms
and to engage in the retail Of spirituous
liquors and regret that it has been neces-
sary for so many prosecutions against
parties for violation of the ~dispensary
law. The evil OF a return to the old bar
rooms cannot be estimated, and we hope
to see a check put upon those who are
inclined to disregard the Statutes of the
State intended for the control and re-
striction OF the liquor traffic. In this
connection we desire to commend Mr..
Joseph r. FAINT, Chief Constable, for his
jealous and faithful efforts to enforce the
law. The. bills of Indictment handed to
US by the Solicitor, in which this officer
is the prosecutor, and the testimony Of
witnesses thereon are sufficient to satisfy
us if we needed any proof Of the fact that
he is discbargiog his duties faithfully.
We congratulate the people of tho coun-
ty that We are soon to have a commodious
court house sufficient for the
dation Of the county officers and tho
officers of the court, together with the
jurors and witnesses and spectators while
vide adequate protection to the records of
the county. We are gratitied also to
know that we will soon have q Jail that
will be q safe place for the confinement of
the prisoners and at the same time not be
an unnecessary punishment to those
confined therein.
We have received some communica-
tons asking us to present parties for
violating one of the Statutes of the State,
giving the names OF witnesses to prove
the charge. We desire to ON phasize what
We said in our general presentment at the
last term of court on this matter. The
law affords ample remedy for the punish
ment Of law breakers and provides how
they shall be brought before the court, to
wit: by a warrant sworn out before some
magistrate.
We have, however, referred the said
communications to the nearest magis-
trates to the parties reported and request
that they take the proper steps to have
said cases investigated and that they re-
port to us at the next term of court what
action they have taken thereon.
In conclusion we hereby return our
thanksto his Honor, the Presiding Judge,
the Solicitor and the other officers of the
Court for courtesies shown us during the
term. Respectfully submitted.