The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1894-04-11
GOV. TILLMAN TALKS.

:! GOV. TILLMAN TALKS.
He MAKES AsPEEcH TO THE TROOPS
! AT COLUMBIA.
ssye BE VIII Rule tse St .te, but Did Net
Agersvate Mat, ers-Pol,ce to be Used tt
Eoforce the DIspe nsary Law.
! COLUMBIA, S. c., April This
morning about 1880 all the troops sta.
toned at the penltentiary numbering
about 400 were marched to the front Of
the State House b7 the Governors Oh
ders. He intended to dismiss them from
the city but before leaving he wanted 10
make toem an address. After they had
ceen properly lined ou. the GoVeraor
accompanied by Coils. Nixon and Watts
appeared at the middle door and advanced
to the first step. Citizens generally
were crowded on the steps but Tlllman
ordered them to stand back and give
him plenty Of room. When the crowd
made an opening for him the Governor
advanced and spoke as follows:
Citizen Soldiers, Volunteers and Eel.
low Citizens:
South Carolina today is attracting the
attention of ell the United States. The
situation here ls go grave and anomalous
thatit is proper that clear and official
statement 60 forth -an analysis of the
causes that brought it about. AS Cover
nor of the eutire people (and bave never
sought to be anything else) it is b.st
that the statement come from me. All
are familiar with The cccurrances of the
past few days.
There has been copaict between
cliizeas and officers OF the law. The
cause Of it all was these who resist the
enforcement of the dispensary because
they say it is tvranlcai, invades private
rights, Is unconstitutional and should not
be enforced. This is .stion that
should not be settled by armssbut by the
ballot. Let US look for moment at
the consequences, If the claim set forth
that private residences can't be searched
for contraband liquor. Why it amounts
TO repeal of the dispensarg law in an
unconstitutional way If man can
seep wblskey in his house and make a
saloon of it or if be. Keeps and carries 1t
in his pocket or other ise 10 saloons
lhen it is useless to have a dis,ensary
law.
This law has been enacted By the peo
pie. L. is on the statute books and I
have sworn to surpora the laws of the
Stale. Until this law is repealed, 80 help
ne God, exercise every power given me
TO see that it is obeled, Cloud cneers
I am not here to discuss the why's or
wherefores, tie advantages or disadVant-
ages of the dispensary. Il will be an Is,
sue in the next campaign and then yea
can decide whether you Want i! continued
or not.
When this collision at Darlington oc.
cured the news was flashed all over the
country that 100 mea were out in pur-
suit of the constables. How do the facts
bear out the statements? The consta
bles had done their duty and had gone TO
the depot. They had been sent
lRa there othgS alb baSs ssnEp sanHEpsteR|e
cause the mayor lad allowed them to
be insulted and cursed to their faces. A
mob had broken into the amory and stol.
en- the guns and We had the spectacle OF
citizens cf the State se;zing State pro-
pertY to shoot down State officers. |
was informed that the guns had been re-
turned but not having confidence in Capt.
Thompson ordered the Sumter com
pany to 60 there. They went and every.
thing being reported quiet I ordered
them back home.
Two boys, me,e striplings, got into
fight and soon so men armed to the teeth
went to the depot. They picked quar-.
rel WITH the constaoles and men On both
side were killed. TIE fault cannot be
clearly placed end probably never will
be known, but if ever it is it will be
found that the constables simply did
their duty.
The MAYOR says the arms were stolen
in fua but this shot of fun occurred else
where and some of the companies were
actually in mutiny. But thank Ged, there
were some brave men who responded
and you soldiers and boys are here today
as an evidence that 10 aligarchV will
ever rule this State again. (Cheers.)
The mayor tries to lay the blame on
me BY saying that I exercised power
that no Governor had ever attempted.
But when these troops-these band
box soldiers-were ordered out they re-
fused to obey being Influenced Dy politi.
cal raccor and men even went 80 lar as
to fer assistance. 1t can't be dlspro~ed
that the Darlington bunting contables
are not lynchers at heart. The mayor
said he had a right to arrest them but be
had no right to go with armed men hunt
ing them uoless accompanied by the
sheriff or some lawful constable. The
thing has its ridiculous side too and it
looks like a big April fool Joke. Here
a'e men admitting themselves to be
lynchers prancing around the couaty
hunting for few constsbles and there
hasn't been shot fired since the row
at the depot. They didn't want to fud
them. Why didn't they lynch the man
they had in their power wao was admit
ted to be IN the row. They slac dere6
themselves by proclalming they would
lypch men whom they didu't want to
when they had one in their power.
In 1876 witnessed scene on this
very spot when this whole expIanade
clear to the monument was crowded
Ri,b men indignant that the Safe House
rad been sezed by troops. was there
We we're all OF one mlnd then. Ne
", re all brothers, friends, Car aud
patrl Dts. Today We are two hostile
camps because The minority don'L
want the majority to rale The
nndy polite IS d!seased-ls ii fever.
The people Of Charleston and Co!un-
oia have taken into their bosom