Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1958-01-29
EDITORIAL

and passed some of the most childish
resolutions we have had the dis
pleasure of reading in long time.
Admittedly concerned over the pend
ing charges against Horny Sheriff
John Henry and eight OF his deputies
for beating up four prisoners, the con-
vention of sheriffs said, this is a
political move to gain votes of minor
lty groups at the expense of Southern
law enforcement officers"
In print the most we can say is that
they miSrepresented the facts, point
blank and boldfaced. There was no
political motivation in the indic.-
mentS OF the Horny officers, nor were
there any such motivating forces be-
mind the indictment, conviction and
Imprisonment Of the Colleton County
sheriff. The Federal officers in Col
Teton and i'll Horny have pursued
their investigation diligently, and
come up with the facts and those
facts were produced without SO much
minority group.
The ridiculous resolution of the ).
Z. SherltfS sounds exactly like some
thing that the defense attorneys
would dream up. They would like TO
have the public believe that mere are
these tine officers being mIStreated
by big giant. They would like fcY
the people to believe that the officers
have done 10 wrong but they are be-
ing prosecuted is political agap..
goats. This Is hogwaSh and the reSo-
iutlon Itself is all that rings of
politics
Inc sherifls are ali, one way or
another politicians. They meet, eat
ana m""c merry together and natur-
ally get Il little pecyed When one or
more o. ,helr group gets called on
ne carpet Tor apparently breaking
laws that iNcy have sworn 10 enforce.
We 90 not believe that the fact !
man wears Il badge gives him free
hand 10 break the law. We feel, on
the Other hand, thai re has 4 greater
u-"s.uUn 90 live - an example than
docs me genera. public. And no
""i""nI OF resolutions Dy 4 shcriff'S
location can change that.
Everyone agrees mat the best law
enforcement is local law enforcement
when II does the JOB with precision.
on one ana all alike, without favor,
Without fear and without corruption.
but when it fails, then it must have a
higher authority to keep it in bounds.
America has Il type of government
That depends upon system of checks
and balances and il one little county
gets out of hand, it must have the
assurance that there are higher pow
eFS VINO can bring law, order. Justice
back TO the people. And without the
Federal authority in Horny, the peo-
pie now could expect little improve
ment in law enforcement, and there
has been practically no law enforce
ment by the sherilfS force in Horny
for many months.
Stills are captured in Horny county
almost every week by Federal agents.
This has been particularly true dur
ing the last year and in all but few
scattered instances they have caught
one or more bootleggers in the pro-
cess. County officers have caught
few, if any, bootleggers during the
last year and when you do hear of
still being destroyed by sheriff's
men, II Is the usual story no arrests
were maze.
In trying to influence the people
to believe that the indictments against
the Horny officers was politically
motivated and melted by the race
question, the sheriff's association
doesn't give the people credit for
having mind of their own. We are
dead sure that all the good people
of Horny County are bitterly opposed
to beating, mutilating and otherwise
80. A 4