Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1920-11-10
flesh Of violators Of the prohibition

laws.
At term Of court within the rec
objection OF all Of us who observed
things in the criminal branch OF our
court one case was tried for violation
of the liquor laws. the defendant
convicted and sentenced to pay a
fine of ) 100 or serve six months on
the county works. Did he work for
the county as Il penalty for having
broken the Jaws OF the State? Not
SO held against him as suspended
sentence We doubt not hicd
himself back to his old haunts and
was making or selling liquor even
before the short session Of court had
adjourned. At this session OF the
court, the word having travelled on
swift wings to other violators OF the
prohibition laws, there was Il rush
on the court the following day, each
violator waving trial. pleading gull
ty and paying IL small fine that did
verbal ROW Of pins" And to-day
the law-abiding, tax-paying public is
suffering for the eve think) mis-
guided lcniency of Il judge, whose
peculiar province it is TO so apply
penalties as to make the law violator
fear the courts and cease to be Il law
viOlator.
We do not presume to speak for
the whole State, and yet we believe
that we could do so with safety,
when we make the assertion that if
our judges think they are pleasing
the great mass Of citizens by their
lcnicncy, they are wofully mistaken.
They arc makingxOf themselves crca-
'urcs to be laughed at by the law
breakers. and are looked upon with
disgust by the law-abitling element.
The editor Of The Courier is not
infrcuuently deridcd and hcratcd for
more or less causlic expressions i'm
regard to people who put themselves
in position as law-breakcrS. and il
matters lilllc 10 lis. The great ma
j0rity OF the citicZnS OF Oc0ncc are
law-abiding and law-rcspecting. and
public sentiment has cryStalicZd so
firmly on the liquor question that the
wishes Of the count cannot be
doubted. We hope that the next
term of criminal court that convenes
in our county will be presided over
by judge who will deliver sentences
that will at once meet the approval
or the law-abiding citizens, prove a
hardship on the law-breaker, and
yet be nothing more than the law
contemplates as the means OF netting
out justice.
We sometimes misconstrue the
term "justice.' mistaking it for un-
due leniency. The old statement ac-
credited to one Of the early judges
in distant state is to the point. 4
prisoner, asked if he had anything to
say as to why sentence should not
be passed upon him, replied: Moth
ing, your Honor, except that I did
not get justice from the jury" The
judge replied: at is we'll for you
that the jury did not give you JUS.
tice. AS it stands I will sentence you
to life Imprisonment. If the jury had
given you full justice, would have
been forced to sentence you to be
hanged"
Our juries must do their duty in
the matter Of dealing with liquor
cases as we'll as in all other classes
OF violations Of law. And then our
Judges must realize that the penalty
imposed must be such as to prove
to be not only the full measure Of
justice. but sure deterrent to the
law violator.
Things have come to the point
where the courts must break up this
nefarious and damnable business or
the great mass Of aw-abiding people
Will sufer-not just what they have
been suffering long already, but from
conditions that are steadily growing
worse.
IINcUiVrM TrCri1anMV