The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-04-04

NsBEEr Ma' 3. H6usghh,, I, usgkh, Proprietors.
EBERT H. AULL, EDITOR.
THE DARL1NGroN TRAGEDY.

THE DARLINGTON TRAGEDY.
Every good citizen Of South Carolina
must regret and lament the unfortu-
nate occurrence at Darlington last
week. The full particulars of the affair
are given this week as we get them
from the daily papers. The entire pa
per this week is given up to this affair.
1t has been the one subject Of attention
since it began. The lives of two pri-
vate citizens have been taken, and
their homes have been made desolate.
Others have been wounded. One State
constable has been killed and another
said to BE mortally wounded. The
people have been aroused and stirred
up to the highest pitch of excitement.
The militia has been called out aud
martial law declared ia two counties.
The telegraph offices have been seized
and the railroads taken charge of. And
all for what? Back of it all is a law
which has been placed upon our statute
books, the enforcement of which has
been made obnoxious to our people.
The spy and armed ccnstabulsry sys-
tern which has been used to enforce the
Dispensary law is really at the root of
the whole trouble.
But as to the immediate cause Of this
present trouble, the Dispensary law
had nothing tc do with it. Two pri-
vate citizens get into a difficulty. A
State constable interferes. Some words
are passed. The State constable draws
his pistol and shoots dead private
citizen who was not engaged in the
difficulty. The whole posse of State
constables, some eighteen in number,
fire upon the citizens with their Win
chesters., The citizens return the fire.
The constables take to the woods. Two
citizens and one constable are dead,
another constable naortally wounded.
That is the story in brief.
1t is but the natural result of the in
structions given to his constables by
Gov. Tillmaa when be armed them
with Winchester rifles and pistols and
instructed them to use them, aud the
further encouragement given them
when he, speedily pardoned one OF
them who had been convicted and SEN
fenced by due process oflsw.
x
When this news is sent the Cover
nor he speedily calls out the militia.
There is no need, and has not been
any need from the beginning, of order
ing out the militia. Since the shoot
ing everything has been remarkably
quiet in Darlington under the circuu-
stances, and the Governor was so ad-
vised. There has been no occasion for
ordering the militia to Darlington, nor
of putting Darlington and Florence
under martial law, But Gov. Tillman,
it seems could not let this opportunity
pass of trying to make big buster
ana trying 70 play the Andrew Jackson
act. Gen. Farley advised him there
wss no need of sending troops to Oar
liogeoa. BE hiss also seized the tele-
graph office and suppressed the trans
mission of news
We are frank to say, however, that
In our opinion the militia made a big
mistake in not responding to the call
made by the Governor as the COM
mander in chief of the army. It is a
mistake in any light in which it may
be viewed. It is the first duty of the
soldier to obey orders when they come
from superior officer, and if he is not
going to do that he has no business
being IN the militia and has not learned
the first duty of a soldier. He has no
right to enquire as to the cause or rea-
son of the order. We say, in our opin-
ion, it was their duty to obey the order.
And we use the word duty advisedly.
Then besides that, it would have been
good policy to have done so. The action
of the military OF Columbia andCharles-
ton and other towns in refusing to re-
spond to the order of Gov. Tillnnan is
calculated Only to arouse and keep
alive bad feeling in this State and give
the politicians and demagogues q lever
with which to go before the people of
the country. And Gov. Tillman is
sure to make capital There would
have been no need Of their going to
Darlington, but there would have been
no harm in it, and such action on their
part would have done much toward
quieting the excitement. Ia our opin-
ion it was a big mistake.
We have no sympathy with the spy
system, nor the men who engage in
the business. Neither do we think
the Dispensary wise or a good law.
Yet there is nothing to be gained in
the direction of peace and good order |
by the action of the military in this
case. 1t sets up bad precedent. IF
the military are to disobey orders in
this case because some of them are not |
in sympathy with the commander-in.
chief why can they not do it in any
case.
It seems to Us that of late, the citi- |
zens OF Columbia can always accounted |
On to do the wrong thing just at the
light time to please their opponents.
There are certain leaders there who |
seem to have forgotten that there are