The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1915-10-29
TILLMAN ON THE ROW
IN CITY OF CHARLIE ESTON
Refers to Darlington Riot Which Oc-
Cured When He Was Governor of
State-DemOcracy Must Rule,
He Asserts.

WuSU ftule,
He Asserts.
Trenton, Oct. Ex-senator Tillman
gave out the following:
For week all eyes in South Caro-
lima have been turned on Charleston.
The first thing the people read when
they get the morning paper is the
news from Charleston. Why?
The riot in the democratic execu-
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 our entire white
population was divided into bitter and
indicative factions. l have been led
to look up Governor Tillman's mes
sage to the general assembly in Mo-
vember, 1894, in order to refresh nv
memory, l came across this telegram:
charleston, S. c., March 81, 1894.
Governor B. R. Tillman,
Columbia, S. C.
mo company in this command will
sustain the constabulary in their
methods of enforcing the dispensary
law. This brigade will uphold and de,
fend the honor of the State, but will
not lend itself to foment civil war
among our own brethren.
ct. A. Hugenin,
"Brigadier General"
General Hugenin, undoubtedly, was
the spokesman of large mapority of
the people of Charleston of that day,
who applauded his insolent and out
talap,-or, tn hn
commander-in-chief.
What 1t Was All About.
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
law. The blind tigers and their friends
at Darlington were very aggressive
and insulted the constables on every
occasion. Spy was a common name
for constable. Governor Tilman sent
the chief constable there with 90
picked men. The State constables then
were men of good character, good
habits, quiet and courteous in the
discharge of their duties; no doubt
they are the same now. The blind tt
gers permitted the warrants to be
served by the % constables, though
they had browbeaten four. The con-
stables had finished their work with
the help of the sheriff and went to
the depot to take the train for home.
They were followed by mob of an
CRY citizens. A quarrel arose between
a citizen and a constable. The citizen
applied an insulting epithet, and two
men drew their pistols at the same
time and fired on each other. A riot
followed in which two citizens were
killed and two wounded and one con-
stable killed and two wounded, one
seriously-he died within a year af-
terwards from the wound. Rebellion
against the State government on ac-
count of whiskey had broken in full
fury and the people 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 southwark 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, but they never closed in.
The experience they had had taught
them lesson.
1t was to offer this riot and to re-
store order tina tthe troops had been
ordered to Darlington. The Columbia
companies refused to 90, 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 or
dered the Fourth Brigade under arms
and Adjutant General Farley was
given special train to go to Charles
ton in order to carry them to Darling
ton. Mind you, they were not ordered |