Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-01-09
sovrH cARoLsNA 40 a coNcuL.
lated STATE.

sASSO obAte-
The collection of internal revenue
in South Carolina is dangerous
business. q. P. kirkland, Deputy
Collector, writes to the Commission
er of internal Revenue at Washing
ton, December %, as follows:
"On yesterday Messsrs. Moore,
Keane and Cummings, special deputy
collectors, and VIM. Durham, special
deputy marshal, went ON tour of in
spection through Union county, from
this place, and to-day at the residence
Of Jasper Gibbs, trial Justice, they
arrested q peddler and his driver for
selling tobacco improperly stamped,
and confiscsted the wagon, team, to-
bacco and stamps. The officers sue
ceeded in Handwriting the prisoners,
and returned toward Spartanburg.-
When they had proceeded about four
miles, and were at Vests store, they
came suddenly upon rifle company,
who were armed with Winchesters
and pistols and were partly mounted.
There were about 200 men in this
company and about rs of them were
uniformed. They shouted: "Release
him, release him." and surrounded
the United States officers and long
wrangle ensued, in which the officers
to retain their prisoners
and capturedrroperty, but were COM
PEELED by threats and various demon
STATIONS to remove the handouts and
release the prisoners, property and
stamps. Jasper Gibbs, the trial JUS
tice, and B. A. Gregory, his consta-
BILE, and the Captain of the company,
seemed to be the principal persons in
authority, and they demanded the re-
lease and restoration of the property
and prisoners. Gregory, by direc-
ton Of Gibbs, searched the wagon of
the revenue officers for whisky, and
threatened to send them to jail. 1t
was only by the total surrender of
the revenue officers that bloodshed
was averted. There is not force
here sufficient to effect the arrest of
persons concerned in this outrage,
and respectfully suggest that meas
ures be taken to muster force for
the purpose. The offenders are per-
sons of means and influence, and, ]
have no doubt, will make determ-
ined resistance to arrest, backed az
they are by a community hostile to
the revenue laws of the United
States"
Here is case where an armed
body of men, in the state over which
Wade Hampton presides as Cover
nor, obstruct the execution of the law
by force, not the execution of state
law, but Of United States laws, and
under penalty of death for refusal,
oblige Federal officers to surrender a
prisoner and his confiscated property,
and more, this armed body of zoe
men are led by an officer of the state
Do we hear Of any move on the part
of Wade Hampton to punish this
mob? Has he issued any proclama.
ton? No. The United States off.
cers appeal to the General Govern.
ment for aid, since no other is afford
ed them. Yet this state is presided
over by the man whom, in his south
ern tour, President Hayes exhibited
% worthy of commentator. And
the President asserts that his concil
iation policy Of unseating Chamber
lain and seating of Hampton hal
worked wonders, and succeeded ad
mirably in establishing law and or
der.
Suppose that in Iowa such bod,
Of armed men had assembled any
where in the state within its borders
and committed such an outrage
very violent superstition we admit
how long would it be before Cover
nor Newbold would have called GU
q military force, if needed, to sup
press such proceedings, and aid tn
officers of the law in the arrest of tn
ring-leaders, to the end that the
should be properly punished. And
more, suppose that Iowa state author
tiles failed so to do, how long woul'
1t be before the Federal authoritie
would respond to the call Of the off
Gers in suppressing such highlands
outrages. We notice by our tele
graphic reports from. Washington, o
yesterday, that the Washington au
thorities do not intend to call on tn
troops "but ii Was thought" that
i. large enough force of revenue off
GERS could be mustered, who, whe
} armed, the mob would not resist.
} appears, therefore, that the revenu
officers down about General Hamr
ton, are also soldiers that they enlit
during the war, or so long as they re
main in the civil service. That is
: sort of mixing up Of the civil an
: military service which most of GU
democratic friends could not stand
for how could they fight their erin
brethren.
We are getting completely disgust
ed with this policy of saying agai
and again, after each damning out
rage, and defiance of the government
well we won't use force, we won
, punish the guilty, but zoe think tbs
, they won't do so any more. In sue
, districts there is needed, for a yer
brief period, martial law and drum
: head court martial.