The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1915-10-27

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 a lesson.
1t was to quell this riot and to re-
store order that the troops had been
ordered to Darlington. The Columbia
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 everywhere. 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 ConstaDlcS in searching
houses, but to keep men having the
governors commission from being
orders trying to enforce the dispen-
sary law The governor was in honor
bound to protect these constables, and
cXcrtcd his whole power to do So The
wI l., - f,rt thot lnp TO III In roc no
dy is told in my message to the Gcner-
al Assembly, November, 1894. TO go
into details here and now | have ncith-
cr the time nor the inclination.
Charleston S citizens then, as they are
now, were intent on having their own
sweet will. and on governing them
selves regardless Of any legislative en-
actmcntS.
Blind tigers and brazcn disobcdi-
cncc OF the dispcnsary law has been
The prevailing condition in Charleston
for = years. That city in effect Sc
coded from the State, or nullificd the
laws passed b, the legislature. For
u years the city has snecrcd at,
and resisted, and refused absolutely
to obey the law in regard to whskcy;
and the spirit which caused this is the
direct cause Of the recent lamenta BILE
and disgraceful outbreak; the spirit
Of lawlcssneSs has become chronic.
The State be damned. We want our
own way, appears to be the feeling.
1,n hnt nIn tod nd
classes have approved and participant
ed in this policy. Not only toughs
have been lawless. a community
which Systematically and with malice
aforcthought disobcys one law must
necessarily lose respect for all law and
suffer the consequences. Charleston
sowcd the wind in 1894 and is now
rcaping the whirlwind.
The Washington Light Infantry m
der the governors orders now upholds
the law. The editor Of the Orangcburg
Times and Democrat has recently
visited Charleston and the following
appears in his last issue:
Someone tells YOU that the forces
OF both sides were about to fight when
Inc Washington Light Infantry took
charge of the street"
This same famous and historic com
pany did not behave so we'll in 1894.
Governor Tillman by proclamation
had disbandcd many military COM
panies, among them this one 1t be-
longed to the Fourth Brigade and had
the same feeling as General Hugein,
and had been disbandcd with other
companies. When the demand was
made for them to turn In their arms
they claimed their rifles were private
property; and when the governor n
second time, demanded them, after
having examined the law in regard to
the matter and found that the arms
were State property not owned by the
citizens, the company employed a
lawyer to appeal to Judge Goff. Of the
| S. Circuit Court, now senator from
West Virginia. to grant an injunction
against "Onc b. II. Tillman. styling
himself as governor, ctc." The case
was argued in Baltimore, and over
whclmng evidence and unaNSWcrahlc
arguments wore presented to the
judge, but the Judge delayed his de-
ciSion and | do not know whether he
ever handed down one but do know