Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1900-10-03

| cution or proceeding, civil or criminal
against tho person testifying. A person
80 testifying shall not be liable to indict-
ment, prosecution or punishment for the
offense with reference to which his testi.
mony was given, and may plead or prove
the giving of such testimony accordingly,
in bar of such indictment or prosecution.
For violation of any of the provis.
ions of such an act tho offender would
| be forever disbarred from Office and for
over deprived of tho right to vote. 1t
peal to tender yearning, and destroy
a valued privilege, dear to tho heart of
every citizen. Such provision, aided
by growth of wholesome public senti-
ment, has forever destroyed ducling in
South Carolina. Could not tho rcgen-
Grafton Of politics DC effected in similar
way?
With the exception of the penalty fca
turo similar statutes arc in force, but
not enforced in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, New York and other
States. Like our laws these statutes arc
altogether ineffective, and are practically
null and void
1t will bo further observed that a per-
son giving evidence in prosecution
would be free from punishment. This is
also decided improvement on the pres
ent law. The merits Of such q provision
are too obvious for discussion.
In addition to tho provisions above
named it might also be provided that
each voter, as he presents himself at tho
polls, be required to swear that hc has
not received pay for his vote. The
pledge of candidates might be amended
so IA to include n promise to use only a
certain amount of money, and not for
illcgitimato purposes. Such provisions
are most too harsh, perhaps, but would
certainly be effective. A man wonid
hesitate a good deal before stult:cylng
himself, for the violation of an oath is
dishonorablc, and honor is a quality loss
elastic than honesty.
1t is well known principle that ig-
norancc of the law excuses no one. But
waving this, the Legislature, with ten
der regard for the frailties of and ignor-
anco Of human nature, might require tho
publication Of election laws i'm Il news-
paper of each county for several weeks
preceding each election, SO as to warn
against misconduct those few who do
not happen to be hampercd by such a
thing as honor. However,, the dema-
gogue would consider such a scheme too
patcrnalistic.
Some might argue that matters of this
kind are beyond the ken of legislators,
and must be regulated by the Democra-
tic party. But this is n mistake. The
State through tho General Assembly has
as much right to suppress criminality in
politics as she has to guarantee personal
liberty to every law w-abiding citizen. Tho
courts have frequently taken cognizance
of primary elections. Tho constitutions
ality of such provisions could not be
successfully disputed.
The evils Of the day are the result of
political corruption in 1876, which was
then regarded as Il necessity. But the
necessity no longer exists, and we are
now rcaping the whirlwind. In the
light of the present day it is decidedly
questionable whether tho cxpcdicnts of
the past were justified.
But South Carolina is not alone in this
matter; by an examination of legal au-
thorities in other States, it will be found
that prosecutions for criminal offenses
under election laws have been remarla-
bly, few. In Canada and England, how
ever, the courts have been very active.
In England a candidate is spoken of as
standing" for an Office; in tho United
States he runs" and if ho expects to
get on the band-wagon must run swiftly
and scatter money as he goes. In the
palmy days of Rome the path of the can
didatc was strcwn by others with flowers,
but the modern Cincinnatus must him
self strew it with dollars and cents, and
especially dollars. Purity in politics will
not spring up full grown; it must be
cared for and encouraged like tender
plant, by suitable and effective lcgisla-
ton, and by the gradual cultivation Of a
wholesome public sentiment among the
masses. There is no reason to be dis
cOnragcd and there is every reason to
believe that publication in politics is not
"an irrdisccnt dream.
HUNTER A. GIBBEs.
800 REWARD $lOO
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