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

greed and rule or ruin" policy.
They propose to trample the law
under foot, set aside the statutes
of the State, and resist all au-
thority. They are therefore outlaws
and criminals. Of consequence
those who aid and abet them are
parties to their crimes. This brings
US to consider the action of the
daily papers in opposing the en-
forcement of the law. The chief
of these papers, aside from The
Register, have rendered themselves
a stencil in the nostrils of decency
by their persistent efforts to fetter
the Governor and his officers. We
know of no parallel to their wicked
and unjust efforts to breed a spirit
of anarchy and rebellion.
They have exhausted their
vocabulary in abuse of the Chief
Executive and his constables.
They manifest the spirit of the
widest foreign anarchists. They
seem totally oblivious of the fact
that Governor Tillman was elected
to his office by the qualified suf-
fragists of the State. They do
everything in their power to bring
him and his administration into
contempt.
Then as to the constables why
shou'd d they be branded as ''spies"
hated worse than criminals and
shot and murdered like dogs2 In
a telegram from Darlington the
Mayor saws, regarding the con-
stables who were fleeing for their
lives, our men are after them and
if caught there will be no quarters
asked or given" This is a "pretty'
message from an officer of law.
But it is a sweet morsel to these
little dogtail dailies in their efforts
to uphold the "blind tiger" liquor
outlaws. The, see their teachings
are taking effect, the spirit OF
murder and outlawry is abroad,
and 80 they rejoice!
If the Governor should make
no effort to enforce the law, SO
illegal sales might abound un-
molested, they would cry down
the law as failure and the Gov
vernon as figure head. But now
that he is striving faithfully to en-
force the law and put down the
criminals who thought defiance an
easv thing, they brand Mr.. Tillman
as "tyrant'' and his constables as
"spies.'
These papors have shown them
selves full of hate and prejudice
and are largely responsible for
the present state of trouble and
lawlessness. The blood of the
Murdered be on their foul and pol
luted pages.
Beside all this we must not for
get that this Dispensary statute
ie the law of the State, passed by
a Legislature elected by the people.
Faithful officers should enforce
it and honest citizen should en-
courage them. When an officer
refuses to do his duty in the enfor-
cement of law he is unworthy and
should give place to one who will.
But here we have the sad spectacle
of people joining the criminals
and resisting the officers. Officers
shot and military companies re-
fusing to obey the orders of their
chief in his effort to establish
civil authority and thereby pre-
vent bloodshed. My friends, this
is an anomaloua condition of
things. "But no." they cry, "our
contention is for liberty; we are
opposed to the searching of our
homes" This is the silliest nom
sense we have ever heard. The
right of search, under warrant, is
older than the stututes of South
Carolina. From time immemorial
those under suspicion have been
subject to search. This statute is
no terror to the law abiding. I
have no fear of my home being
invaded by a dispensary constable
Nor has any other citizen who is
not liable to suspicion. Whose
home has been searched? Who
has suffered under this section Of
the law? But suppose I am in
nocent, but by malice or misfor-
tune becom suspected; then
the best and quickest method of
establishing my innocence is by
having the search made. If inno-
cent and under no suspicion there
will be no search; if innocent,
but under false suspicion, the search
will clear me of suspicion and
vindicate my innocence; hence an
honest, innocent man would invite
II Who then can comnlain at the