Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1894-04-11

proven to be in fault would have
been made amenable to the law. In
stead of that he issued a proclama-
ton denouncing the good people
of these two counties as insurgents
and insurrectionists and ordered
the military of the State to camp
upon them.
During my stay at Darlington [
vas deeply impressed with the
anxiety of both the citizens and
the military to keep within the
limits of the law. 1 advised as far
as I had the right to advise, that
under our form of government the
military be subordinate to the
civil power, and the use of the
military arm was only justifable
when the civil authority was prov
ed to be powerless and paralyZed
and, I think, if Governor Tillman
had or could recognize this Con-
stitutional relation of the two
powers of our government, he
would avoid many of the blunders
which he has made. There are
two ways to execute any law. The
one by wisdom and conservatism
and fairness, and the other by
harshness, violence, and an over
bearing diregard of the citizens.
I need not now express any
opinion in regard to the dispen-
sary law, but I may say that, in
my judgement, the Governor is
attempting to enforce itin harsh
violent and ill-advised manner.
He ought to know that the Anglo
Saxon race, particularly in our
day and generation, will not sub
nit, beyond certain point to be
harried and repressed and pursued.
The Constitution of the United
States and of the State guarantees
the citizen against unreasonable
searches, and is nothing there in the
dispensarylaw that I know of.which
iustifes an invasion of this sa-
cred right. Governor Tillman must
not imagine from the patriotic
submission of the people in the
city of Charleston, where he seems
] to have ractically unshaf aflenged
sway in the harsh executionof this
law, that the people outside of that
city, less accustomed to the res
triants of municipal government,
will quietly submit to invasion of
their righ is and it would be prud-
ent on his part to go slow in the
rigid enforcement of a very un-
popular law.
Il should not be understood as
encouraging,in the slightest degree
lawlessness or resistance in any
form to lawful authority. The peo-
pie of Darlington and Florence, as
rule, have not resisted the lawful
authority. There may be exception
al instances, as there are in every
community, but they do not justify
the wholesale denunciation which
he seems to have put upon them.
From what I observe in both these
counties there has not been the least
excuse or justification for ordering
the military to these points. He
has done so at all enormous expen-
Sc to the taxpayers of the state,and
of course, he will have to look out
for that.
"While in Darlington, I advised,
as far as I had the right to advise,
that the friends of the deceased
who were killed in the emute at
the railroad station, go before the
trial jivstice, make affidavit charg-
ing the accused parties of the
offence which they thought they
were guilty of, demand the issu-
ance of warrant, let the same be
placed in the hands of a duly au-
thorized constable or citizen, or
where the accused has fled the juris-
diction Of a-warrant, that it be
sent to the sheriff of the county
where they are found, endorsed and
served by him, so that the parties
might be arrested according to law,
required to appear, give bond and
answer to the charges in the due
course of judicial administration.
If resistance should be made to
the constable of the trial justice,
and he should fail to make the ar
rest, he should be required to en-
dorse such failure Oh the warrant,
and then, and then only, the civil
authorities should call on the mill