People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 April 1894 — TILLMAN WILL RULE. [ARTICLE]

TILLMAN WILL RULE.

South Carolina’s Governor Takes Command of All City Police Forces. Columbia, S. C., April s.—The great feature of Tuesday was Gov. Tillman’s public address to the assembled troops and many citizens from the portico of the state capitoL The chief executive of the state talked in a strong, clear voice, intending that what he said should go out to the whole country as his side of the condition of affairs which exists in this state. He made the announcement that his next move would be to assume control of the police of the various towns. This caused a stir when it was spread on the street Then the soldiers, who had been quartered in Columbia for the last few days, were mustered out of service and sent home.

Later in the day Gov. Tillman, in accordance with his announcement, issued bis proclamation taking absolute control of the police forces of the towns in the state. He orders the police and marshals to enforce all the laws on the statute books, together with all municipal ordinances and orders from municipal authorities not inconsistent with the purposes of the proclamation. As soon as the present emergency shall no longer exist he will relinquish control and restore the former status. Excitement is at fever heat over the action of the governor, and dispatches from all the large towns in the state say that any effort to interfere with local control of the police powers will meet with resistance. Florence, S. C., April s.—The telegraph office at Darlington is in the hands of the military, who refuse to permit the transmission of messages to newspapers. Washington, April 5. —Mr. Grosvenor (dem., O.) introduced in the house a resolution calling for an investigation of Gov. Tillman’s action in seizing railway property and telegraph lines engaged in inter-state commerce, and with armed force and violence establishing a censorship of the daily and weekly press of the country, and prohibiting the transmission of news dispatches to the newspapers. Mr. Grosvenor said this was the first time in the history of the government such a censorship of press dispatches had been established.