The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-05-08
"OUR WHIsKEY REBELLION"
TILLMAN's REVIEW AND ANALY.
SIS.

North American Review.
The attention of the United States
has for more than year leen directed
to South Carolina. This State has cn
deavored to solve the liquor problem
q troublesome one to all governments
In manner SO novel as to be startling
So much has been Published about the
Dispensary law in the papers and mag.
azines OF the Union that its scope and
purposes are well known, and eXplana
tions on those points are not needed in
this article.
History bears out the assertion that
whenever restriction or prohibition OF
the liquor traffic is attempted, rcsis-
tance, either political or by force, is
attempted. When South Carolina
sought q solution of this troublesome
problem, and tried to solve it by pas
sages Of the Dispensary law. the in
evitablo conflict with the whiskcy ole
ment was expected, nor has the expcc-
tatiOn been without fulfllment. The
general conditions can easily be under
stood, for they would prevail in any
other State were q similar law enact
ed there; but the struggle between the
whiskey and anti-whiskcy element in
South Carolina has been intensified by
conditions peculiar to the State OF
South Carolina and which would not
obtain elsewhere. l will briefly out
line these local conditions, so that the
cause and violence OF the whiskcy re-
belliOn can be seen at q glance. Prior
to 1890, under q vicious system of party
politics, the control of the government
of the State was in tho hands of the
remnants Of the old slave-holding aris-
tOcracy, which had saddled upon the
State IL condition of affairs resembling
as much as possible that prevalent be-
IN nf La a nt,
return of those conditions, the outcome
OF that war had rendered impossible.
l led II fight inside tho Democratic
party, the white mans party. to free
the State from the rule Of these old
bourbons, who wanted the roins of
government to rest entirely in the
hands of themselves and those who
would be subscrvient to their will.
Aftor a canvass of the State from one
end to tho other mceting on the stump
two Representatives of the old order of
things, received tho nomination Of
the Democratic party regularly and by
an uneXampied majority but the old
ariStocratic element would not submit,
and ran an independent ticket ut the
regular election, appealing to the ne
groes for votes. [ was elected by an
overwhelming majority, the greater
part OF my support coming from the
agricultural classes, which had until
then been practically deprived of a
voice in the selection of the officers of
tho State government. The old Bour.
bon element had control Of the press
and the banks. Among thcm wore
the best trained intollects of the State,
and these all kept warning upon the
new order of things. Taking the posi-
tion that naught good could come out
of Nazareth, they opposed every act of
my administration, which has been for
the masses us against the classes.
In 1892, after another hot canvass,
was reelected Governor, obtaining an
increased majority. The Bourbons be-
gan to see that they could never be re-
turned to power by u vote of the peo-
o. pie, and commenced casting about for
new combinations and devices by which
to regain power.
In the fall of 1892, the General AS
sembly passed the Dispcnsary Act as Il
compromise between the wishes of tho
ultra-prohibitionists and the whiskcy
people. This law gets rid of the worst
features OF the liquor traffic, while not
removing liquor beyond the reach Of
those who desire to drink it in modcra-
tion. 1t was natural that the men who
had been engaged in the liquor busi-
ness should try to cvade the law and
sell liquor in violation of it. They
opened "blind tigers" for tho sale of
contraband liquors. The Dispensary
law provided for the commission of
whatever number of constablcs was
deemed necessary for tho discovery and
suppression OF these places. The Bour-
bons made this feature the point of at
tack upon the law their many papers
bounded down these men, calling them
"spics" and sneaks," and applying
to them all manner of abusive cpithcts,
thus seeking to stir up against them
the anger Of the people in the towns
and cities, the inhabitants of which
constitute the opposition to the Reform
movement which resulted in my clcc-
tion. Almost all tho work of these
constablcs had to be done in these
cities, which made 1t easier to create
pittcr, unreasoning prejudice against
them. Every daily paper in the State
save one, is under tho control of the
"antis," as they are called, and these
have spared no effort in the attmDt tC
stir up anger against the cOnstablcS
the law under which they operate, anG
the administration which enacted thai
law. Realizing the effect of tho asscr
tion Nthat liberty is in danger, they
used that sacred name in the appea
for subversion Of the Dispensary Law
and the retirement from authority o
law gives the constablcs, when armed
with proper warrants from the civi
authorities, the right to search privat,
residences for the seizure Of contra
band liquors. Were this provision
absent from the law, it would be prac
tically imperative. as men would turl
their private residences into "blnt
tigers" where they would sell liquo
with impunity. The papers support
ing the combination of the whiske,
men and the old political leaders al
legged that the Dispensary law CAV,
the constablcs the right TO saarcl
private residences indiscriminatel,
and without warrant, which is some
thing to which Anglo-SaXon blood vii
not submit. These falSchoods stirrc,
up bitter, unreasoning passion in tn
cities and towns against the constables
and threats wore freely made agains
them. Being in danger OF bodily harm
after having been mobbed and peltc
with rotten eggs on more than one oC
casion, the cOnstables were armed 70
their own protection. Hypocritica
use was mado Of tho old adage tha
A mans homo is his castle" " to incit
violence. " a mans home is his, cas-
tle," but he has no right to turn IL int
o saloon and expect to exercise tn
same rights there no would have in
private dwelling.
These were the conditions Of though
and feeling existing at tho time Of tn
whiskey rebellion, which broke ou
last month.