Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-10-29

not want 10 be mustered out was quite
natural. Their pay is good and even
if they went to Havana they would
have no bitches to dig. The city is full
of dark eyed Cuban and Spanish beau
ties, and there is an abundance OF
wine and of rum. The prospect was
anything but displeasing, especially to
those whose tastes might run in the
direction indicated. That the officers,
should feel aggrieved at Tillman and
the privates delighted with him, was
natural. But take the next step.
In causing the unmerclful fiogging OF
Negroes to try to make them confess
to a theft of which they were suspec-
ted, Colonel Tillman was guilty of an
unmilitary use of his authority which
caused indignation throughout the
state. When the officers preferred
charges against Colonel Tillman, they
only did their duty. 1t may be that
they were prompted by no higher feel
ing than revenge. There is now rea'
son to fear that such is the case. But
no matter what may have been the
motive of the officers, Colonel Tillmau
should have been courtmartialed
However, let US here quote what Till
man is reported to have said about the
affair at the time. The quotation is
from the news columns of the Colum-
bia State:
"The whole thing is hatched up
affair, directed against me by officers
who have lost their jobs-largely by
men who never before made so much
money in their lives. / understand
their scheme, and l am ready to meet
them. Most of them will be court
martialed on far gfaver charges than
have been brought against me-"
Then, after this, follows the death
of the lamented Colonel Aston, who,
by the way, had, with becoming dig
nifty, held aloof from all the disgrace
full disseusions that had occurred.
And since Colonel Alston's death, it
develops that Lieutenant Colonel Till
man has been appointed his successor.
In the same issue of the newspapers
that give this news, 3 the statement
that the officers have decided to let
bygones be bygones, and all are pull
ing to have the regiment retained in
the service. We are told also, and
this we do not believe, that most of
the men have "changed their minds
and are willing to remain"
Now, what does it all mean? If
it was true a month ago that the
soldiers would 60 to Havana only to
do garrison duty and dig bitches, it
is true now. Then why remain in
the service? If Colonel Tillman was
solicitous for the men a month ago,
why not now? If the commissioned
officers were so bitter against Colonel
Tillman a month ago, why not now ?
Is it possible that the reason Tillman
raised his dissensions was because he
was not colonel and is it possible that
the only grievance of the commissioned
officers was, as Tillman intimated, the
threatened loss of their jobs? If the
regiment is retained in the service
now, it would certainly look that
way.
If it is true that the officers have
decided to let bygones be bygones, we
are glad. In the circumstances there
is nothing to be gained by the court
martial and punishment of some of
the officers who may be so richly
deserving of punishment. That is, if
the regiment is to be mustered out of
service, for then the state will try to
forget the rottenness of the whole mis-
erable business. If the regiment is
not mustered out, then, of course, all
this rottenness will continue. So, as
we have said before, the honor of the
state requires that the First South
Carolina be mustered out on the date
appointed-November 10. If it is not
mustered out, it should be reotficered
hu man mhn have not cnmnromiSed