The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-04-05
BUrLER sCOHES TILLMAS.
He Holds the Governor Kospopssbie for the
TronbIe In south Carolina.


FLORENCE. S. C.. April 4-United
States Senator Butler last night made the
following statement:
came down from Darlington this
evening. where I had been the past
twenty-four hours. As far as / could
learn everything is perfectly quiet. and
the civil authorities are prepared to dis
! charge Their duty
| II seems thet = number of State con-
| stables or spies. as they are called. had
| been In Darlington for the purpose or as
| containing IL there was contraband whis-
Wv there In the searches which they
| made they were supported by the Mayor
| and civil authorities Of Darlington. AS
! 10 this there was not the slightest re-
| sIstance. On the contrary, the people of
| Darlington co-operated with the enforce
ment. This was prior to Thursday,
| March 18th.
TOW tho Fight Begun.
IL appears that the force of consta-
bIes. or spies. was increased on that day
by a reinforcement Of about eighteen
men. who arrived with winchester rifles
and pistols Why this reinforcement of
| armed men should be sent into a peacea-
| Bile law-abidng community. where there
! had been 10 resistance to law, can
| not understand. and think the authori-
ties will have difficulty In explaining it.
II also appears that this armed band
were about to retire from that commun-
ty. where they had not been molested or
disturbed when personal difficulty arose
| between two young men at the railroad
| station. where these sries were. This
| difficulty. from what | can learn, was an
| entirely personal matter between the par
| ties engaged. and in no way connected
! with the execution OF or resistance of the
dispensary law.
One Of these armed constables, McLen-
don by name interfered in this private
difficulty. citizen. Mr. Norment. who
was at the depot on business. made some
remark. and there was an interchange
Of epithets between him and this con-
stable. whereupon the constable opened
fire upon Mr. Norment. with a remark.
C d 1t. boys, let her roll" The
firing then became general between the
armed constables and the few persons
who appear to have been at the station
by accident or on business. The result
Of this firing was that two unoffending
citizens were slain, one constable killed.
and this man, McLendon. badly wounded.
Several other citizens and the chief OF
police, who were trying TO preserve order,
were several times wounded.
Tn people Of Darlington. naturally in
dignant at the extraordinary and violent
measures adopted by the authorities of
the State were enraged. and upon the in
formation Of this event at the station,
they turned out and pursued the men
who they rghtfuly thought had commit
ted wanton and unprovoked murder
upon two of their best citizens.
They pursued these men, i take 1t, as
long as there was a prospect of arresting
them, and, We must assume. with a
view to bringing them to justice for what
they considered an unprovoked homicide.
AS a proof OF their conservatism the
wounded man, McLendon, who had shot
MIR. Norment, was taken TO the Jail and
there protected from further injury. al
though the people OF that town were
greatly Infatuated at his conduct | think
1t may be safely asserted that there Is
not n more Iaw-abidlng intelligent com
munity anywhere In the United States
than the two counties of Darlington and
Florence.
The Governors Duty
Now II would seem 10 me that If !
had been Governor Of the State of South
Carolina | would have considered it to be
my duty, upon being Informed of the
occurrences at Darlington to go promptly
10 the scene Of disturbance and assure the
people or that hitherto law-abding COM
munity that they should have fair play.
think had Governor Tilman done so
this matter could have been composed In
t"enty-four hours. and whoever should
nave been proved to be at fault would
nave been made amenable to the law
instead OF that he issued proclamation
denouncing the good people OF this town
as insurgents and insurrec,ionists. and
ordered the military Of the State TO camp
upon them.
During my stay at Darlington / was
deeply impressed with the anxiety OF
both the citizens end the military to lasep
within the limits Of the law. ! advised,
as far as ! had the right TO advise, that
under our form OF government the mill
tary should be subordinate TO the civil
power. and that the use of the military
arm was only justifable when the civil
authority was proved to be powerless and
paralyzed. And | think II Governor Till
man had or would recognize this consti-
tutional relation OF the two powers or
our Government he would avoid many OF
the mistakes which he has made. There
are two ways TO execute any law the one
by wisdom and conservatism and FIRM
ness, and the other by harshness, vio-
lence and an overbearing disregard of the
feelings of the citizens.
j need not express any opinion in re-
gard 10 the dispensary law, but j may
say that. in my judgment. the Governor
Is attempting 10 enforce II In harsh
violent and ill-advised manner He ought
TO know that the Anglo-Saxon. particu-
larry In our dag and generation. will not
submit hey ond a certain point 10 be har-
ried and depressed and pursued. The
Constitution OF the United States and
the State Is guarantee to the citizen
against unreasonable searches. and there
Is nothing in the dispensary law that I
know OF which justiiles an invasion OF
this sacred right
Governor Tilman must not imagine
from the patience and submission OF the
people in the city Of Charleston. where
he seems TO have practically unchal-
lenged sway In the harsh execution OF
this law. that the people outside OF that
city. less accustomed to the restraints
OF the municipal Government, would
quietly submit to his invasion OF their
rights And II would be the part Of pru-
denee on his part to go slow in the rigid
enforcement OF very unpopular step.
Military No N~~d.d.
I would not be understood to encourage
In the slightest degree lawlessness or
resistance In any form TO lawful au-
thoritv. The people OF Darlington ana
Florence. a. rule, have not resisted
the lawful authority. There may be ex-
ccptioual lnGtanCes. an therA nr~ In >vsrv