Not to kick S.C. Agriculture Commissioner Charles Sharpe when he's down, but his arrest on federal charges of extortion and money laundering in connection with an illegal cockfighting ring does provide a cautionary tale about South Carolina's messy handling of executive functions.

In South Carolina, the agriculture commissioner is elected, with only the members of the farm lobby ... truly understanding the merits and drawbacks of the candidates.

And, once they're in office, the agriculture commissioner and other minor state elective officials pretty much have a free hand to do what they please without reprisal from voters or the press. Because they play no policy-making role, they don't attract much attention.

It would be unfair, obviously, for us to pass judgment on the allegations against Sharpe, who has pleaded not guilty.

That's the job of a jury.

But it's hard to imagine that a secretary of agriculture who worked for Gov. Mark Sanford -- or any S.C. governor since Strom Thurmond -- could stray into a situation where the filing of such serious federal charges was possible.

Since taking office last year, Sanford has sought to organize the disparate elective offices that perform executive functions under the governor's control ...

Even if nothing else comes of it, the Sharpe case should give Sanford renewed incentive to demand these structural changes again -- and legislators' renewed impetus to grant them.