The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-12-03
Foreman Iagram's View-We Disagree With
Him-We Declined to Offer Such Eli.
Manning, S. c., Dec. ,. 1902.

Manning, S. c., Dec. ,. 1902.
Hon. Louis Applet, Editor MANNING
TINES:
Your animadversionS on actions OF
the grand jury we feel it is our duty to
notice. and in doing so, we would kind
| " ask that YOU, The sentinel on the
watch tower" will grant to Us that
which we have the right to expect.
rs the grand inquest of Clarendon
county for the year 1902, we have felt
and do now feel that we should expect
every citizen to support us in our efforts
to attain the best ends in every matter
which commands our attention. IN
thus expecting your endorsement OF our
efforts for the right we would not QucS-
tion your right TO criticiSe our every
action where the veal or the woe OF
our TAX payers" are at stake, but on
the other hand we would praise: We
would sincerely admire the editor of
county news paper who with an honest
integrity of purpose would severely
criticise the grand jury who dares to
propose a measure to be accomplished
at the expense Of the Farmer tax pay
err for the convenience OF 4 set of
lawyers" In entering into public
print we the grand ..lry for the year
now nearing its close 10 so for the pur-
pose of explaining to the commonwealth
why we recommend TO the court Pre-
sided over by His Honor Judge Town
send, the over hauling of the records of
clerk of courts Office, and a proper re-
indeXing or indeNing of the deeds and
mortgages. This recommendation
was made upon petition presented
to US and signed by the majority of the
lawyers practicing at the Manning
Bar, than whom We think you will not
find a more thoroughly equipped set of
young lawyers in our State.
Your criticisms in issue of The NAN,
MING TINES 26 tn, Nov. inst. were Sc
we're. You charge that the indeXing
of records would, we quote, only make
it more convenient for the lawyers to
get at the records, and expedite their
work in searching, but we doubt eN-
ceedingly whether it will lessen their
charges"
You go further in your criticisms
and say, we again quote your words. IF
the members of the Bar wish to have
things more conveniently arranged,
then let them employ some one at their
own expense to do the work, and each
one OF them can have copy of the in
dexes on their private desks" Thus
YOU charge the grand jury in a carlesS
way, unmindful of their duty (under
oath at that 10 their country. of doing
the behest of a few lawyers. Such,
my dear sir, could not be the case.
The grand jury is composed of eighteen
citizens of Clarendon county, each one,
in fact, IN very fact, farmer unless
YOU choose to make exception as to
Foreman, we would ask to say that
even he should feel the deepest concern
in agriculture and that which apper-
tains thereto. Now let US come down
more squarcly to the indeXing OF the
deeds and mortgage books.
In indeXing the papers which are
recorded. the clerk is liable to make
mistakes, and fail to enter the paper on
the index Or might enter it on the
wrong index. We are assured this
has been done in few instances. In
such case the books are wrong. 1t
follows, that one searching the records
is misled. No argument is required to
show that records of real estate should
be absolutely correct, that the very
best means should be used to attain
this end. AS otherwise one buying a
farm, home, is liable to find that he
has not good title, and his money is
lost. On the score of convenience, 1t
will be for the benefit of any one,
whether he be a lawyer or a farmer OF
Ordinary intelligence'' who desires to
search the records, who would look for
a deed or mortgage, as there have been
thousands of such instruments recorded
within the last several years or we
would say within the last twenty-five
years. Now it takes considerable time
to find any particular one when with
properly made general index, every
deed and mortgage made by any man
in that time can be found in one minute
and if the one desired cannot be found,
then the searcher can rest satisfied
that such an instrument was never re-
corded.
We have mentioned the fact of mis-
takes being found in the work of the
clerks. We have no intention Of re-
fecting on the clerk of the court, as
we might say, it would be too much to
expect in the very busy season when
crowds are in the Office, that no mis-
takes will be made, and we are pleased
that the books are kept as we'll and as
free from mistakes as they appear Ito
| usl but it is only a reasonable caution
that the books should be checked and
absolutely correct indexes made at least
| every twenty years.
made general index Of all the papers
recorded in the clerks Office. This is
well known to every one who has had
cause to make search of records, wheth-
er he be the lawyer who looks for his
client or whether the ordinary man of
intelligence" who seeks to know some
thing of the records of that office.
These indexes are used exclusively by
every one searching for any paper re-