The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-04-11
BUTLER In DARLINGTON
pIsPAssIoNATE REVIEW OF TIE SIT.
UATION
Facts and Conditions as He Found Them
-Tillman's Extraordinary and Unwar-
ranted Course-Wanton Insult to
Capt. Mclaughlin.
Especial 20 The State.

y
4 FLORENCE, april 3-Senator Butte
passed through Florence tonight O
his way from Darlington to Washing
ton, and asked him to give me hi
estimate of the situation in this sin
sarrectionasy" district.
ssI have come down from Darling
ton," be said, "where / have been th
past twenty-four hours. AS far as
could learn everything is perfectl,
quiet and the civil authorities prepared
70 discharge their duty. 1t tseems tha
number Of State constables or spies
IS they are called, lad been to Oar
lington for the purpose of ascertainin,
ift there was any contraband whiskey
In the search they made, they wefe
Supported ny the mayor and civil au
shorities Of Darlington, as there wa.
not the slightest resistance to this en-
foreement Of the dispensary law; or
the contrary the people of Darlington
eo-operated with the enforcement. This
was prior to Thursday, March 90. l,
sppears the force of constables or spies
was increased on that day, by rein.
foreeDent about eighteen men, armed
with Winchester rifles and pistols
Why this reinforcement of armed men
should be sent into peaceable, law.
abiding community where there had
been no resistance to law, I cannot
understand, and I think the autho.
rites will Rave difficulty in explaining
it. It also appears that this armed
band were about to retire from that
community where they had not been
molested or disturbed, when personal
difficulty arose between two young
men at the railroad station where
these spies were. This difficulty, from
what can learn, was an entirely per-
sonal matter between tbe parties en-
s gagged and in no way connected with
the execution of Or resistance to the
dispensary law.
''One of these armed constables, Me-
Lendon by name, interfered in this
private difficulty. A citizen, Mr.. Nor
ment, at the depot on business, made
some remark, and there was an inter-
change Of epithets between him and
this constable, whereupon the consta.
Z bic opened fire upon Mr.. Norment,
with the remark, Cd d-a it, boys,
{ let her rnll.' The firing then became
z general between the armed constsbles
and the few persons who appear to
4 have been at the station by accident or
on business. The result of this firing
was that two unoffendiDg citizens were
slain, one constable killed and this
man McLendon badly wounded, and
several other citizens, among them the
chief of police, who was trying to pre-
serve order, were several times
wounded.
1.-The people of Darlington. naturally
indignant ab the extraordinary and
] violent measures adopted by the au
thorities Of the State, were outraged,
! and upon the information of this eme-
ute at the Station they set out and pur-
sued the men who they rightly thought
! had committed wanton and unpro-
yoked murder upon two of their best
citizens. They pursued these men, [
take it, as long as there WAS a prospect
ofarresting them, and, We aust assume,
bringing them to justice for what they
considered an unprovoked homicide.
AS a proof of their conservatism, the
wounded man, MeLendon who had
shot Mr.. NormenG, was taken to the
Jail and there protected from further
injury, although the people of that
town were greatly infurlated at his
conduct.
81 think it may be safely asserted
that there is not more law-abiding,
intelligent community anywhere in
the United States than the two coun-
ties of Darlington and Florence. Now,
it does seem to me that if had been
Governor of the State of South Caro-
lima I would have felt it to be my duty,
upon being informed of the occurren-
ces at Darlington, to have gone prompt
ly to the scene Of the disturbance and
assured the people of that hitherto law
abiding community that they should
have fair play. I think if Governor
Tillman had done this matters could
have been composed in twenty-four
hours, and whoever should have been
proven to he in fault would have been
made amenable to the law. Instead of
that he issued q procla nation denounc-
ing the good people of these TWO coun-
ties as insurgents and insurrectionists
and ordered the military of the State
to eamr-upHn them.
ssDuring my stay at Darlington was
deeply impressed with the anxiety of
both the citizens and the military to
keep within the limits Of the law.
advised as far as had the right to ad-
wise, that uuder our form of govern
ment the military be subordinate to
the civil power, and the use of the mil
itary arm was only jGstifable when the
civil authority was proved to be pow
erless and para lyzed, and, I think, if
Governor Tillman had or could recog-
njze this Constitutional relation Of the
TIVE powers Of our government, be
would avoid many Of the blunders
which be 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 overbearing disregard OF the |
citizens.
II need not now express any opinion |
in regard to the dispensary law, hut [ |
may say that, in my judgment, the
Governor is attem pting TO enforce 1t in |
harsh, violent and ill-advised man-
ner. He ought to know that the An
glo-Saxon race, particularly in our day
and generation, will not submit, be-
yond certain point, to be har-
ried and repressed and pursued. The
Constitution of the United States
and of the State guarantees the
citizen against unreasonable searches,
-6GO LuSTS - uotulOS 1d Ci0 NiS-
pensary law that I know of, which
justifles an invasion of this sacred right.
Governor Tillman must not imagine
gfrom the patriotic and quiet submis-
sion of the people in the city of Char
lesion, where be seems to have prac-
tiealiy unchallenged sway in the harsh
execution of this law, that the people
outside of that city, less accustomed to
the restraints of municipal govern
ment, will quietly submit to his inva-
sion of their rights, and it would be
prudent on his part to go slow IL the
rigid enforcement Of very unpopular
law.
II should not be understood as en-
eouraging, in the slightest degree, law
lessness or resistance in any form to
lawful authority. The people of Dar-
iington and Florence, as rule, have
not resisted the lawful authority. There