Iron County register., 1894-04-05
THE SOUTH CAROLINA WAR.

Gov. Tillman Emphatically Disclames Re-
sponsibility for tho DIspensary Law or
the Troubles that Have Attended les
enforcement - senator Irby Indorses
the Governor and Outlines the source
Of the TrouDIe-The Country Militia
Support the Governor.
New York, April 1.-The Herald
prints the following communication
from Gov. Tillman of South Carolina:
To the Editor Of the Herald:
That am In any way responsible Tor the
present condition of things In this state IS Ut
terly false and absolutely without foundation
In fact -
did not make the dispensary law On the
contrary, I protested against Its enactment
and predicted, from my knowledge OF the peo-
ple of the state, that 1t would lead to violence
and bloodshed.
/ have not tried to enforce its monstrous
provisions. On the contrary, l have urgeo
that its constitutionality be determined by the
courts, and that the people yield ready oDe-
dience to the law once the law has been deter
mined.
did not appoint desperate or irresponsible
men to enforce the law and arm them wltn
rifles with instructions to shoot anyone VINO
might resist by look or word the INFAMOUS
work OF the whisky spies
Ibid not pardon, before reading the evidence
in the case the first Of the spies who was con-
victed, although his offense was searching
u
woman the mistress OF the premises.
have never declared that would head =
mob to lynch man for any onense wnatever'
BEN r. TILLMAN. Governor.
In Command OF the Situation.
WASHINGTON, April 2.-Senator Irby
received the following telegram last
evening from John Gary Evans, at
Columbia, S. c.: "We are in command
have responded promptly and the law
will be enforced at all hazards. The.
people still rule"
Senator Irby, OF South Carolina. Indorses
Gov. Tillman.
WASHINGTON, April 2.-Gov. Till
mans views of the South Carolina diff
ficulties 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 populistic'
tidal wave that carried Mr.. Tillman
into the gubernatorial chair. Dis
cussing the situation in his state with
a United Press representative, Senator
Irby gave free expressions to his opin-
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. ''It 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 rights and 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 hotbed of anti-Tillmanism,
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 1890. 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 organizations
of the state. These organizations
sprang into life shortly after Hampton
got control in 1876 through the ambi-
tion 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 government,
and on the first opportunity they had
of showing their loyalty to the gov
ernor of the state they flunled, as I
expected they would. It is mere
farce for South Carolina or any other
state government to keep up military
organizations that are hostile to the
enforcement of the laws; and their re-
fusal to hold Gov. Tillman up in his eff
fort to maintain the supremacy of the
law is disgrace to South Carolina,
and the sooner Gov. Tillman calls the
state legislature together and reor--
ganizes this militia by the enrolment
of loyal farmers the better'it will be
for the maintenance 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 are
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:
1.-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 If
he acted otherwise.
Il received a telegram yesterday af-
ternoon saving that he thought he
would be able to control the situation
to-day. think it was blessing that
Sunday intervened and that all will be
well within twenty four hours"
Wiser Counsels Prevailed.
DARLINGTON, s. c., April Upon
receipt of news of the arrival of 900
state troops being sent here under