The South Carolina Legislature should easily approve a bill to make cockfighting a felony, subject to the same fines and penalties as dog-fighting. The misdemeanor penalties that now apply are insufficient to pressure cockfighting enthusiasts to abandon the blood sport.

House Speaker David Wilkins, who filed the bill, observed that the maximum penalties for cockfighting are $100 and up to 30 days in jail, which he correctly describes as "not even a slap on the wrist." Dog-fighting, in contrast, carries penalties of up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

The Greenville Republican would add cockfighting to the animal welfare law that applies to dog-fighting. The proposal is endorsed by Attorney Gen. Henry McMaster, who has taken the lead in successfully prosecuting those involved in dogfighting.

There is little question that cockfighting has a tradition in the state, as South Carolinians were reminded in the cockfighting-related scandal involving former Secretary of Agriculture Charlie Sharpe.

Mr. Sharpe was indicted for taking payoffs and using his position to protect an illegal cockfighting ring. He awaits sentencing after pleading guilty last month to extortion and lying to law enforcement authorities. Mr. Sharpe, of course, faces substantially greater penalties than if he had only participated in a cockfight.

Adding cockfighting to the felony list would enable law enforcement officers to seize property or money related to cockfighting, as is now allowed for dogfighting. Both sports have been linked to gambling and drug-dealing.

Toughening the penalties for cockfighting would emphasize the state's recognition of its brutality and its determination not to let those who violate the existing law virtually ignore the consequences.