The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-04-04
GREENWOOD.

GREENWOOD.
..S." Talks OF the Recent Trouble, and
Makes suggestions.
Greenwood, S. c., April 2, 1894.
While there is an avalancn OF State news,
there is now n local death.
General NJ. L. Bonham has been Ia town for
several days the guest Of h. s. Spark man.
Crokinole parties are quite the 60 here now I.
One at Mr.. j. =. Marses Thursday evening,
and MIR. w. H. Baiiey's Friday evening. On
tertalned few OF their friends by delight.
iul lat home" and bountiiul supper.
The Maxwell Guards were ready and In
waiting at the depot within halt an hour u +
Judged by It's sizzling and no less scathing
CIVILIZATIONS, Editor Gants pen Is surely "set
on lire OF hell.'' Just now lis fiery and
venomous darius are being hurled agains
some of those VINO were instrumental In
bringing him from Georgia for the sole pur-
pose of welding this same serpentine jave-
lin against uuotfending Conservatives. This
Is indeed the summit of poetic Justice Tor
doubt our erst abused leaders roll II as q
sweet marsel under their tongues.
Mrs. Anna Hill o dhan, OF Birmingham,
has 20 far recovered as 10 be- able TO visit her
parents here. She will remain for sometime
AS everybody knows, the first lesson In
mi itary discipline Is implicit obedience u
superiors. The question, whether or not
troops were needed In Darlington was q very
different one from soldiers duty TO his COM
manding officer. II there had been some
where In the State company whose captain
was an anti iquor crank aud every member
d prohibition Ian tic their duly would have
beeu TO respond promptly 10 proper call TO
protect the STATE dispensary therefore when
Gov. Tillman, rs ommander In chief, order
they never stopped to debate, nor ask advice.
rhey knew their duty and dared 70 perform
II, aud In thirty minutes alter the order was
received, they were ready and In waiting al
the depot tor the special To carry them 70 Col
umbia aud on 10 Darlington, II necessary.
Be 1t said 70 their credit, they were the first 10
give u prompt, full and free response 10 the
Governors call.
This is no time for levity. but II Governor
Tillman really Thought tnaL war.like mea-
sures were best Tor restoring peace In Darling
ton, hs should have ordered out Congressman
Miller's, rock, rail and razor, brigade, when
the State militia were refusing 10 respond.
We commend the Governors action in sup
pressing inf1umInatory kilograms, but the
greatest apprehension, and most widespread
excl itenent has been caused by his ordering
out the entire militia.
The people of Greenwood have no SYM
pathy for the constables In much they have
number was, by firing the tirst shot, the i'm
mediate cause or the Darlington tragedy.
Yet after all, they are but clay In the hands OF
the potter, and iorlorn as the hope now
who were In the swamp have escaped with
their lives.
Gov. Tillm ans declaration that he did not
want the 20 ldiers TO protect the spies, but 10
the:militiamen, but how did II fall on the eager
listening ears Of llose anxious loved ones At
home, the words of those whom Tillman had
promised TO protect, aud who were aL that
moment surrounded In dismal swamp with
apparently every means of escape cut of.
Another cory page has been added to the
already crimson chapter of dispensary law.
A great many people, honestly perhaps.
consider II all as blood tribute 10 Conserva-
tive lawlessness. While many others just as
honestly believe IL is the fruits of Gov. Till
mans reckless enforcement OF doubtful,
and 10 them an exceedingly obnoxious law,
through horde of officials with more or less
opprobrium. The anti press is peculiarly GEN.
sorious, In laying the blame at his door, and
he In turn is Just as stern In bis charge OF in
citing 10 them. The reign OF despot has
ever been marked by an era Of carnage. and
this outbreak IL but the product or such a
reign, but our opinion is that they are all
including the Supreme CourL-to greater or
less degree responsible, for The loss of life,
and subsequent chaos engendered by the en-
Iurcement Of u law believed by many 10 be
unconstitutional.
We believe those Darlington people, as
good and as true as any in the State, but all
this talk about the chlvalrous and gallant
sons OF our illustrlous Haynes, Sumpters,
aud Marlons not being able TO refrain from
by the persistent insolence OF those. oft un-
scrupulus hIrelings is mere sentiment
We have no doubt their patience was sore
Iy taxed even TO evaporation long before the
outbreak came, but being as great they
should have been as long suffering as the peo-
pie In other portions OF the State, waiting for
relief to come-as II inevitably must-from
The ballot box. When Governor Tillman
armed his constabulary with winchesters
and gave them license TO shoot prom iscuous.
ly and subsequently pardoned-one OF them
for slRpping q woman, he sounded the death
knell Of every one who has been slain since,
but the fact remains that II our great trium.
vlrate had discharged its duty promptly by
giving decision pro or con on the dispensary
the dispensary tragedy might have been
averted Even after hostilities had begun,
The worst might have been avoided II the
Governor had resorted to conclliatory, In
ste I'd OF forceful and infammatory measures.
He we'll knows that the much abused Wade
Hampton-or any one Of hundred other Cit
izens-could have restored peace In five
populace If be had only ack now lodged his
own inability, to do so and asked for their In
| tercession but, no, his stubborn will and ar
rogance would not allow him TO acknowledge
the superior power Of those he and his had so
much maligned. He preferred to sacrifice the
The lives Of those men whom ne had reckless
| ly sent into the very jaws Of death
| Munitions OF war were not what was need
ed In rlington-there was already too much
OF it-out cool, wise and persuasive counsel.
The Nestors before alluded TO possess all OF
| this but IL was not for them 10 volunteer
their rservices-probably 10 be spurned by our
Governor-whsn their friends were not In
Jeopardy, or at least abundantly able to TAX e
| care OF themselves. s.