The record-union., 1894-04-04
TREAsONABLE, OR NEXT DOOR
TO II.

10 II.
In the name of brains let 1t be asked
what sort of intellectual timber is
incorporated into the editorial deck of
the San Francisco Chronicle? Whence
did that journal derive the ideas it enter
tains of free government and of law?
Here are few sentences from its latest
expression upon the South Carolina up
rising of a whisky mob against the au-
thority constituted by the people OF
sovereign State:
TilIman OF South Carolina will have to be
added to the cranky" Governors. "He has
demonstrated" his capacity for stirring up
strife.
It will be hard to convince people that all
this zeal OF the dispensary officers is not con-
nected in some way with q feared or threat
Cned infringement of the States monopoly OF
the liquor traffic.
While no accurate or full statement has
been given of the proximate cause Of the
trouble at Darlington, outside of the resent
ment felt at the search of private rooms and
houses, 1t is quite probable that the difficulty
arose from the conduct of the local Board OF
Control. Cases are very frequent OF men
clothed with a little brief authority who use
their power foolishly and unreasonably, even
ifnot to aYenge some private and personal
grievance.
The promulgation of such narrow views
of the functions of government is dan
gerous, for unfortunately there are many
people infected with the idea that resist
ance to constituted authority is justif-
able, if the plea is made that the authority
has been foolishly exercised or is hacked
by law the constitutionality of which is
questioned.
1t is essential to the perpetuity of free
institutions and of orderly government
that all such dangerous ideas shall be
colnbatted; that all men shall be at all
times impressed the conviction of the
truth that the law must be respected and
obeyed so long as it remains the law; that
the officers of the law must be upheld
and defended in discharge of duty i'm
posed upon them by the law; that under
no circumstances, except the revolt
amounts to revolution, can good citizen
ship be excused in resistance to the au-
thority it has itself created and instructed.
Governor Tillman has by no act or ex-
preston given evidence of being cranky.
mentally unbalanced or of having ex-
ceeded his sworn duty, or of having
stirred up strife. The suggestion of the
Chronicle, that the trouble in South Caro-
lima arises out of Threatened infringe
ment of the States monopoly of the
liquor traffic" is plain expression of
sympathy with and encouragement OF
those who are in arms against the law
and in insurrection against the State.
The people enacted the law creating the
monopoly; it was an act of their sovereign
power; it received the critical examina-
ton of the lower courts and was affirmed
as constitutional by the appellate court of
last resort. The Governor is sworn to
execute this law, to maintain and uphold
1t: the people elected him with full
knowledge of this obligation upon
him, and with knowledge OF the fact that
his failure to act would subject him to
pains and penalties provided by the Con-
stitution and the law.
In the name of common sense and of
the most ordinary intelligence. wherein,
then, is Governor Tillman blameworthy
The law itself provides for the search of
houses under magisterial warrants; such
authority has existed since the founda-
ton of the Government; it exists in Cali
fornia to-day, as it always has; there is
no room or house of the citizen in the
State that may not be broken into, en-
tered and searched under duly issued
warrant. This action in South Carolina
is not, therefore, exceptional or novel.
There appears to be no conception on
the part of our San Francisco contempo-
rary of the offenses of the men who re-
sisted the officers; it has not one word of
reproach for those who violated the law
and stored liquors in defiance of it, there
is not a syllable of condemnation for the
swamps or of the municipal officials who
put bloodhounds upon their track. There
is not word uttered by our contempo-
rary, who is so insensible to the obliga-
tions of duty. in reproach of the towards
who had taken the oath of the National
Guardsman and then threw down their
arms and mutinied when called upon by
their Commander-in-C Chief to aid him in
enforcing the laws.
It is precisely such loose writing and
looser conceptions of duty that lead to dis
order, revolt and anarchism. 1t is pre-
cisely such seed-sowiug of evil that
brings US too plenteous crops of disorder,
mob law, criminality and general law
lessness. 1t is this order of vulgar and
treasonable writing and publishing that
poisons shallow minds, breeds ineffici-
ency in Office, and makes poltroons OF
those whose function it should be to
maintain the law.
Just SO long as it is openly preached.