The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-04-11
TiLLMAN'S EDlCT.


u
u He Says that He Dses Not Propose to
; be Killed, and Threats Do Not
: 1ntiInidate Him-Declares
Z that the Law Shall
Z be Enforced.
COLUMBIA, SC, April 3.-Govern
3 rillman has issued the following pro
lamation:
"Whereas, section SIG of the gener
statutes of the State declares that IT
Governor shall have authority whel
ever, in his judgment it shall be nece
sary, to arm the constabulary, and
any emergency to assume the sole col
troll of the whole or any part of tt
municipal police cities and incorporate
towns, and to authorize the chief cor
stables of the State, or any deputy chit
constable, to command assistance i
the execution of process, suppressin
riots and 10 preserving the peace; an
whereas, it is made the duty of, an
the power is given said police to Ell
force the statute known as the 'dispen
sary law but that instead of obeyin
the requirements of said law, the sal,
police, except in very few towns
have been an obstruction and are activ
aiders and abettors of those who ar
defyipg the law; and, whereas unde
the same statute, the Governor is givel
power to appoint State constables 70
the purpose of its Enforcement; and
whereas, the rebeilious and lawless ele
ments of society have ho1nded and in
suited these officers, and sedulouslJ
educated the public mind to resistance
causing>several encounters resulting il
bioodshed, between constables and il
licit whiskey sellers, producing intense
excitement, and danger to the peace
| and welfare of the State:
"Now, therefore, I, Benjamin R
Tillman, Governor of the State of South
Carolina, do issue this, my proclama
ton, giving full and official notice tc
the municipal authorities of every city
and Incorporated town in the State Of
South Carolina, and to the police and
marshals thereof, that under the pow.
ers given me by said section 519, the
emergency contemplated has arisen
and does now exist, and that do
hereby assume sole control of the whole
force of municipal police and marsbals
of the several cities and incorporated
towns of this State. They are hereby
ordered to enforce all laws on the stat
ute books, together with all municipal
authorities not inconsistent with the
purposes of this proclamation. AS
soon as the emergency which is now
upon US shall no longer exist, will re-
,ich of
B. R. .TIELMAN, Governor.
"By the Governor: j. E. Tindal,
Secretary of State.'
GOVERNOR NOT A CZAR.
At the State Capitol this morning
Governor Tillman spoke as follows:
"CitiZens, Soldiers, Volunteers and
Fellow Cit zens-South Carolina today
is attracting the attention Of the entire
United States. The situation here is
80 grave and anomalous that it is proper
for clear and official statement to 60
forth and that an analysis of the causes
which have brought it about should be
given to the public. AS the Governor
Of the people-for I have never sought
to be anything else-that statement
can best come from me.
I'VE are all familiar with the occur
rences of the past four days-the con-
f1ict between the citizens and officers
of the law. You are aware of the con-
teEtion made by those who are resist
ing the law-the dispeDsary law-that
it is tyrannical; that it is an invasion
of private liberty; that it is uncorstitu-
tional, and that it shall not be en-
forced. That contention should not be
settled, as 1 have already said, by
arms.
Now, let US look for a moment at
the consequences. If the claim Set
forth that private residences shall not
be searched for whiskey is once ad-
mitted, it simply repeals the dispen-
sary law and it repeals it in an uncon-
stitutional manner; for if whiskey can
be sold from private residences; if a
mans house can be turned into q bar
room; if a private residence can be
made bar, from which whiskey can
be transmitted in pockets, or by other
mears, to regular saloons, and we are
not permitted to 60 in that private
search for and seize contra
band goods, you can readily see it is
useless to pretend to say that we have
a dispensary law. 1t is law. 1t was
enacted by the Legislature and il IS on
the Statute books: I, as Chief Execu-
tive, have sworn that the laws Of this
State shall be obcyed and respected;
and until the dispensary law is re-
pealed legally, so help me God, I will
exert all the powers l have to see that
all the laws are obeyed. (Cheers).
Now, gentlemen, we will not dis
cuss the reasons, why's and wherefores,
and advantages, of the oispensary law
that would be political issue in the
coming campaign, and you the sover-
aign people of. South Corolina, will
pass on it at the ballot box. When,
the collision occurred at
Darlington, the news was flashed from
one end of South Carolina to the other
that an armed mob-hundreds of men,
it said-were mounted, and in pursuit
Of the States officers, charging them
with having wantonly provoked con-
dict and murdered innocent citizens. |
How to the facts bear out the state
ment?
REVIEWING THE RIOT.
"The constables had discharged their
duty and had gone to the depot; they !
had been sent to Darlington because
he six, who were Oh the ground bad |
oeen nearly mobbed the first day, had
20 desist from the execution of warrants
md return to their hotels, and when
he chief was ordered there with rein.
orcements, the mayor had allowed them
o be insulted, abused and cursed to
heir faces; an armed mob had broken
MO the armory and stolen the guns of
be military company and the spectacle
Vas presented of citizens seizlng the
rms Of the State for the purpose of
hooting down officers Of the State. I
'rdered outithe local company and the
captain telegraphed me he bad
recovered the guns Not trusting his
command, l ordered the Sumter COM
,any to go there. When they reported
was quiet. ordered them
o return home.
Now, when the constables got to
he depot, two Observation-Disclosures
nto fight; one got whipped aud ran
If and got reinforcements and came
'sck with twenty-five or fifty, we
I.D,t knOw which armed TO tho teoth