Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1894-04-07
Senator Irby, of South Carolina, Indorscs
Gov. TiIlman,


WASHINGTON, April Gov. Till.
mans views of the South Carolina diff.
fculties are undoubtedly reflected by
Senator John Laurens Manning Irby,
who, in 1890, was sent to the senate
from South Carolina to succeed Gen.
Wade Hampton on the same popuistic
tidal wave that carried Mr. Tillman
into the gubernatorial chair. Dis.
cussing the situation in his state with
a United Press representative, Senator
1rby gave free expressions to his opn.
ions and they are here presented ex.
actly as given:
The public do not understand the
true cause of all this trouble in South
Carolina" said Mr.. Irby. at is a mere
pretense and fraud on the part of cer
tain citizens in Darlington that it is
an honest revolt against the invasion
of their private rightsand homes. The
dispensary law of the state forbids the
sale of liquor other than as authorized
by it, and persons have no right to
prostitute their homes by making bar.
rooms out of them and then crying out
against what they term an invasion OF
their private rights The truth OF
the whole matter is that Darlington
has been a hotbed of illman nism,
or, more properly speaking. the right
of the people to rule and control the
government of the state; and it is not
surprising that this trouble should
break out at this place. 1t is an effort
on their part to destroy Tillman and
the right of the people to choose their
own leaders, in South Carolina. al
most by accident, the people got in
the saddle in 1saD. They were strong
enough and determined enough in
other states in the south to get rid of
the bourbon element, but have ruined,
misled, and have lost their cause by
erratic and wild leadership. This
thing could not have amounted
TO anything but for the mutiny on
the part of the military organization
of the state. These organizations
sprang into life shortly after Hampton
got control in 1876 through the ambi-
ton of lot of men who had never
been in the army but were anxious to
wear brass buttons and gray clothes
and who have been supported by ap'
preparations by the state governme Mt,
and on the first opportunity they had
Of showing their loyalty to the gov
ernor Of the state they funked, as
expected they would. 1t is a mere
f.,, fp, ~ hop
state government TO keep up military
organizations that are hostile to the
enforcement of the laws; and their re-
fusal to bold Gov Tillman up in his eff
fort to maintain the supremacy of the
law is disgrace to South Carolina,
and the sooner Gov. Iillman calls the
state legislature together and reor-
ganizes this militia by the enrolment
of loyal farmers the better it will be
for the ma ;ntenance of law and order.
Brass buttons, gray clothes and pa
rades are all very pretty to look at
and for the women to bestow flowers
upon, but the kind of militia we want
at this time is one like that of Pennsyl-
vania, with slouch hats. and who arc
ready to kill If necessary to enforce
the law"
Senator Irby was asked to express
his opinion upon the seizure of rail-
road and telegraph lines in his state,
and replied:
THE laws of South Carolina justify
it and fully indorse Gov. Tillman's
course throughout The railroad and
telegraph lines have been unfriendly
to his administration and from what
gather are doing all in their power to
precipitate this war between hand
full of political malcontents and the
organized authorities of the state. He
would have been derelict in his duty il
he acted otherwise.
II received a telegram yesterday af-
ternoon saving that he thought he
would be able to control the situation
today. think it was a blessing that
Sunday intervened and that all will be
well within twenty four hours"