The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-04-11

why did they not lynch the man they
had in their power, who was admitted
to be in the row I will tell you why;
because We are not lynchers, we are not
cutthroats nor robbers. We are South
Carolinians. W. fight a man as long
as he is up. but We never hit the man
that is down. We don't fight that
way, aud that is the reason that man
was not lynched.
know pretty we'll what Governor
Tillman wanted US to do. | UNDER
stand him very we'll. He is not the
first politician I have seen. The
Governor would have liked our people
10 their rage to have murdered this
man McLendon, who / am informed
boasts of the fact that he has killed
three other men. he would have liked
US to have destroyed the ~dispensary,
because then there would have been
two facts which he could have pointed
to as a justification of his uuprecedent-
ed course in this whole matter, but,
thank God. our people are not of that
sort. They arc made of different stuff
from what he imagiues. and we con
~gratulate ourselves to-day that the man
McLendou (wbo. I am satisfied, will be
shown to have brought on this blood
shed) having been shot down and
thereby disabled from making his
escane, and thrown into our hands
helpless, has been treated as all helpless
meo are, and as wounded men are by
civilized people. This action stands
out in a startling and striking contrast
to the action of his privileged State
officers, who. it appears from the facts,
shot the body of poor Frank Norment
after he was down, in four different
places with Winchester rifles. and our
chief of police, dischargipg his duty
That was enough to fire the blood Of
age and make the infant sinews strong
as STEEL but cool heads we're here and
possessed by men WHO were not poll
t%icians, who we're not looking
for votes. who were not playing to
tickle the fancy of crowds, and reason
had full sway.
Yes, I know now. after that speech
Of the Governor, that be wanted US to
destroy the State property, but | am
thankful to say that it. with all prop
erty Of the own Of Darlington. has
been protected and is in tact to-day.
Our people only wish that the lives of
our fellow citizens, now lying cold aud
stiff. we're as we'll preserved.
1.-The Governor is a curious Kind Of
individual. There is one peculiar and
striking thing about him-be judges
everybody by himself. When he wants
information about anything he never
goes to the man who is charged with
knowing the state Of affairs, unless
that man is either a hireling of his or
Que of his own peculiar political faith.
He would take information given him
by a bootblack if be belonged to his
party about the condition Of a munich
pal1ty rather than the Information fur
nished him by the officers of it. l al
ways. when l want information, 60 to
the man whose peculiar duty it is to
have charge of the concern which l
wish to inquire Of, and waste no time
seeking information from people who
have no character, knowledge or stand
ing.
I'm the commencement of this mat
ter, if the Governor, had been judging
me by himself, had wished infor-
nation about the status at Darlington,
had addressed bis communications to me
VINO am charged under the law with the
administration Of the affairs of this town,
as he is with the affairs of the State, he
would have been Informed accurately
and truthfully of the situation (; but
instead Of that it appears from the
kilograms I saw published, that he gave
full credeDceto his hireliDg Of a dispenser
over here, j. B. Floyd. who in the
administration of the affairs Of this
town is absolutely as nothing. If |
could not have been relied Oh, or if he
had information that from my character
aud standing he could not trust me to
give him reliable information, surely he
could have sough: information FROM
some gentleman Of standing aod
responsibility in this community. He
did not choose to do so. aud that coca
sions his many mistakes and blunders
made in this matter.
Both the Queen and the Prince OF
Wales are now carefully guarded by de.