Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1922-05-31
JUDGE URGES COOPERATION.
Powerful Charge to Federal Grand
Jury--linfOrccmcnt OF Law.
(AnderSon Mail.

| pic Of the nation in assisting officers
and the courts to enforce the laws.
was the Keynote Of very powerful
charge delivered by Federal Judge
| IL. II. Watkins in Federal Court this
morning. Judge Watkins charge
was as much to the general public as
it was to the grand jury.
| 'Mr. Foreman and gentlemen" ho
began, 81 wish to briefly instruct you
as to the indictments which will be
shortly handed you before | go into
any general charge. Many Of these
indictments, you will find, charge
violation Of the national prohibition
law"
Judge Watkins then explained the
form Of the Indictment, tho various
counts, etc, and touched on other
indictments handed out at the same
time, telling tho jurors their duties,
and informing them as to how to ar
rive at decision as to what to write
on the bill. Following his specific
IIc Sttlu.
'lt is proper at this time, ] think,
to say few words Of the general
purpose Of the court, and Of the prob
lens confronting it. At the close Of
the World War the newspapers were
filed with discussion of whether or
not the Christian religion had proved
itself to be failure or a success, and
many Of those opposed to Christian
religion, and some weak adherents
TO the religion Of Jesus Christ, either
openly charged that Christianity had
failed or doubted its success. One
reason for this discussion was the
terrible catyclasm brought about by
the war. The brutality and inmu-
manity Of the struggle between the
Christian nations furnished a power
ful argument to those who opposed
ristiaNity.
"Now We hear the same discus
sion. Are we progressing in the en-
forccmcnt OF the national prohibi-
ton laws? Will the law become Il
failure or a success?
~ stated to Il party Of Christian
gentlemen the other night that |
would answer that question if they
would answer one for me. My lucs-
tion is, Where do Christian people
stand? Are they solidly behind the
law? Are they openly violating it,
or winking at its violation?'
zone of the troubles with the law
is that there Is disposition on the
part Of the public to shove off the
responsibility to some one else, to
let the officers do it ALL People
blame the courts and jurics for nom
enforcement Of the law. There is
something the mattcr--I admit that
much.
81 lie awake sometimes at night
trying to figure the answer to our
present condition. There is some
thing alarming, something sinister
realization Of the conditions which
arc rapidly growing among us.
"I recall a plea I made to the
grand jury recently to stand by the
law because it was a lava law Of
the nation. Disregard for the one
law makes all laws less safe, and the
defiance Of law openly permitted Gre
ates the gravest danger.
81 thought l saw some Of the con-
ditions that were approaching be-
cause Of the Indifference Of the peo-
pie, but l did not really have any
idea Of what was coming.
Consider conditions in Russia, In
Ireland, where neighbor is ready and
anxious to fly at his neighbor's
throat, where no man nor woman Is
safe. And these very conditions
threaten us here in America. Last
year when armed forces approached
each other in West Virginia, it
ought to have awakened us to these
conditions, but it did not; it was
too far off.
"These sporadic outbreaks that
we read OF daily in the papers do
not worry us, nor do they awaken
us, but it is getting closer to us
every day. Just across the river at
Columbus, Ga, where a mayor and
commission form Of government