The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1909-12-22
ARE TIE COURTS TO PROTECT OR
TRYAyNy?

Attorney General Lyon Wouio
have the supreme court to make
q declaration that will forbid cir
cult Judges in the future from
cautionins jurors about the dan
ee- of the uncoroborated testi-
mcny Of an aceomplice. Now if
he will go a step further and asa
the legislature TO pass an Act that
will make ita penitentlary ohense
for an officer to compound a Tel
ony, or purchase testimony with
the promise Of immunity from
prosecution. we would heartily
Join 10 the movement to make
convictions for crime easier. but
as long as an officer, be ne a So
licitor or Attorney General, can.
say to "a. ''if you will testify
against 3, I will see that you are
not prosecuted" and probably
"a" is the greater sinner; until
then, the circuit Judges should
be required to stress the danger
of accepting the uncorooorateo
testimony Of an accomplice more,
especially an accompsice who ad.
mits his crime, on the promise OF
the officer, but who has never Of
fered TO make restitution. We
have no doubt that Mr.. Lyon IN
seeking the courts declaration.
has in mind the dispensary cases,
and we do not doubt that his po-
lltical future depends largely on
the outcome Of these cases. He
needs a conviction IN his business,
and if he car have the supreme
court to declare that the Judges
shall permit bought testimony to
go with a jury. the same as hon
est testimony. he may succeed IN
securing q convi-sion at Chester,
but the cause has not reached a
Chester jury yet, nor do we be-
heve it ever will, without first
having run the gamus Of the State
and the United States Supreme
Courts.
Il is hard for US TO believe that
the constitutional rights Of g CIT.
izen can be taken sway in the
manner attempted by the prose
cutting ot6cers Of the State: the|
accused were charged with crime |
in Richland county. and while the !
cases arestill pendiugin Richland
the cause is removed to the home |
county of the witnesses who turn |
ed Ssete's evidence on the prom
ise Of freedom from prosecution. |
IF there ever was q proceeding
more unfair, we Cannot recall it,
Is is absolutely overriding the
rights of citizens and virtually
saying to them "a conviction must
be had, even if a packed jury |
must be obtained" |
We are opposed to any such
tyranny, the very contention now
between the United States and
the Zelaya government OF Nicar,
auga, IS on the same principle.
That was because Of the execu-
ton OF citizens Of the United
States withouta proper trial, and
this is the depriving of citizens
Of the United States of the right
of a trial by q jury of their Peers,
for NO other reason, than that the
political aspirations of an officer
is involved. We are friendly to
the Attorney General. and would
like to see him Governor, he has
worked hard and done well, but
we cannot consent to the methods
heis employing now to reach that
high Office. Il he has a right to
carry an accused to another coun-
ty for trial, after charging the
crime elsewhere, then it would
seem to US he has a right to re-
cui-e the jurors to swear before
taking their seats, that they will
render q verdict Of guilty, regard
less of the law and the evidence.
He would have the power to de-
mand Of jurors any verdict he
may desire, and if they would not
be governed by his wishes, then