The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-11-03
NULLIFIED ALL Law
TLLMAN TALKS ABOUT CHAR
LESTON'S RECENT DISORDER
COMPARED TO HIS time
Senior Senator Tells How Charleston
and Columbia Militia Refused to
Preserve Peace and Order in Dar-
Observation-Disclosures Seeded From
State to Have Her Own Way.

US Sp@1 la4Uu1 8 oOOA Aie-- Se-- W.
ator Tillman gave out the following
statement at his home in TrentonS
For week all eyes in South Car
olina have been turned on Charles
ton. The first thing the people read
when they get the morning paper is
the news from Charleston. Why!
The riot in the Democratic eNecu-
tive committee room is the first really
serious trouble between democrats
we have had in the state since 1894,
when the Darlington riot provoked
so many angry passions, and Cur en-
tire white population was divided
into bitter and indicative factions.
I have been led to look upon Gov.
Tillman's message to the general as
sembly in November, 1894, in order
to refresh my memory, I came across
this telegramS
.sCharltston, S. c., March 81, 1894.
Governor B. r. Tillman,
Columbia, S. c.,
NO company in this command will
sustain the constabulary in their
methods of enforcing the dispensary
law. This brigade will uphold and
defend the honor Of the state, but
will not lend itself to foment civil
war among our own bretheren."
''T. A. Hugenin,
"Brigadier General"
General Hugenin,: undoubtedly,
was the spokesman of large majori-
ty OF the people Of Charleston Of that
day, who applauded his iasolent and
outrageous telegram to the governor
and commander-in-chiel.
Governor Tillman found that there
was fragrant and repeated violations
Of the dispensary law in Darlington,
and warrants were being served to
search private houses for which au-
thority was found in the dispensary
saw. The blind tigers and theE
friends at Darlington were very as-
gressive and insulted the constables
on every occasion Spy was the com
mon name for constable.
Governor Tillman sent the CHIEF
constable there with twenty-five
picked men. The state constables
then were men Of good character,
good habits, quiet and courageous
in the discharge Of their duties; no
doubt they are the same now. The
blind tigers permitted the warrants
to be served by the twenty-three con-
stables, though they had browbeaten
four. The constables had finished
their work with the help Of the sher-
IF and went to the depot to take the
train for home.
They were followed by mob Of
angry citizens. 4 quarrel arose be
tween a citizen and a constable. The
citizen applied an insulting epithet,
and two men drew their pistols at
the same time and fred on each
other. A riot followed in which two
citizens were killed and two wounded
and one constable killed and two
wounded, one serioCsly-he dlea
within year afterwards from the
wound. Rebellion against the state
government on account Of ,whiskey
had broken in full fury and the peo-
ME of the state were on the verge OF
civil war, not in one country only,
as is now the case, but all over the
state.
Instead of having the pleasure OF
seeing the constables run, as they
had anticipated the mob had to do
so. The constables retreated south
ward into the country, where they
were hunted for three days and
nights by this same mob, which was
threatening to lynch them If they
were caught. The mob could have
found the constables at any time, bat
they never closed in: The experience
they had had taught them lesson.
It was to queu this riot and to re.
store order that the troops had been
ordered to Darlington. The Colum-
bia companies refused to go, or were
not allowed to go by mob gathered
on the streets which threatened to
burn the state dispensary and to hang
the governor. Feeling was intensely
bitter elsewhere.
After the failure of the Columbia
companies to go, Governor Tillman
ordered the Fourth Brigade under
arms and Adjutant General Farley
was given a special train to go to
Charleston in order to carry them
to Darlington. Mind you, they were
not ordered to go there to protect the
constabies in searching houses, but
to keep men having the governors S
commission from being lynched,
These men were under his orders
trying tc enforce the dispensary law.
The governor was in honor bound to
protect these constables, and exerted
his whole power to do so.
The whole story of that lamentable
tragedy is told in my message to the
general assembly, November, 1894.
To so into details here and now l
have neither the time nor the lncll-
nation. Charleston's citizens then,
as they are now, were intent on hav-
ing their own sweet will, and on
governing themselves regardless OF
any legislative enactments.
Blind tigers and braZen disobed-
iepce Of the dispensary law has been
the prevailing conditions in Charles
ton for twenty-one years. That city
in effect seeded from the state, or
nullified the laws passed by the leg
islature. For twenty-one years the
city has sneered at and resisted and
refused absolutely to obey the law IN
regard to whiskey; and the spirit
which caused this is the direct cause
OF the recent lamentable and dis
graceful outbreak; the spirit Of law
lessness has become chronic. "The
state be downed. We want our own
way" appears to be the feeling. The
better educated and more wealthy
classes have approved and participated
In this policy. Not only toughs have
been lawless. a community which
Systematically and with malice afore-
thought disobeys one law must nee
essarily lose respect for all law and
suffer the consequences. Charleston
sowed the wind in 1S9n and is now
reaping the whirlwind.
The Charleston Light Infrantry.
under the governors orders, now up
holds the law. The editor Of the
Orangeburg Times and Democrat has
recently visited Charleston and the
following appears in his last issuec
Someone tells you that the forces
OF both sides were about to fight
when the Washington Light InIrantry
took charge of the streets"
The same famous and historic COM
pany did not behave so we'll III 1894.
Governor Tillman by proclamation