Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-09-14
The Aprkrille Guqnirer,
YORKVlLLE. s. c.:
THURSDAY MORNING, SEPT: ii, Is
A RELLICOSE CANDIDATE.

If we are to Judge Capt. John G. Wither-
spoon by his demeanor on the stump, we should
say that he has somewhat recovered from the
surprise by which he claims to have been TAX
en- at Hickory Grove on the 31st OF August,
when question which has been the daily topic
in all portions of York county ever since the
adjournment Of the special session OF the
General Assembly, was suddenly ''sprung"
upon him but in regaining. his presence OF
mind after the sudden and unexpected shock
which so disturbed his equipoise, he seems to
have lost his serenity of temper. In taking
notice of portions of Capt. Witherspoon's Clo-
yer and Fort Mill speeches. report of his
last one we publish this week-we do not pro-
pose to exhibit ill temper, nor do we desire to
add fuel to the flame which he kindled ny an
unwarranted, unprovoked and unjust attack,
not upon this paper merely, but which he
seeks to render more offensive by making 1t so
personal as to apply it to the Editor OF the
Yorkville ENQUIRER. While we do not de-
sire to throw a firebrand into the Democratic
ranks of York county, we cannot otpermit these
attacks to pass unnoticed and shall reply so
far as they provoke.
The cause of our offending seems to he the
publication of a communication, acopy of which
was in circulation and had secured large
number of signatures of pefsons occupying
opposite positions on the question of adopting
the new county amendment, requesting Senator
Hart and the candidates seeking election to
the House of Representatives to publicly de-
fine their respective positions on this question.
a
lures and had obtained several before copy
of it was put in type, and although it appear
ed in the ENQUIRER just one week before the
canvass opened, Capt. Witherspoon ''Was ia
ken by surprise" when Col. Wilson expressed
his views on the question at Hickory Grove,
and the subject was sprung upon him so
suddenly that he was unable to reply. I'VE
are at a loss to see how the question was
Sprung upon him 'by the Editor of the EN-
QU1RER and a few of his friends" when, by
the publication of the communication the
other candidates evinced no emotions of sur
prise, and Hon. B. H. Massey, the first one to
speak, discussed it in the most leisurely and
matter of fact way If he was 9surprised"
he certainly managed most adroitly to conceal
his emotion. Col. Wilson followed Mr.. Mas
sey, and during the delivery of his speech 1t
seems that unless the sudden conclusion had
badly scattered Capt. Witherspoon's ideas, he
might have collected enough to have made
few random shots atleast. Capt Witherspoon
was not new candidate, just entering upon
the canvass. His name was announced in the
issue of the ENQUIRER containing the per
tinent and practical question" " which 80 sud-
denly disgruntled him, and his name had been
announced as candidate for several weeks
previous to the appearance of the communica
tion.
But was this question really ''sprung" upon
the candidates? If so, by whom9 Capt.
Witherspoon says "by the Editor of the York
vile ENQUIRER and few of his friends for
a selfish purpose The editor of the En-
QUIRER" says it was first sprung upon the
people by the Legislature. The people, then,
as was their right, 'sprung" it upon the can
didates with the view to having the question
fully discussed and ventilated as prereqhis-
ite to arriving at an intelligent conclusion as
to how to vote upon it. While our positiOD
on the question is known, and no ATTEMPT
made to concealit, we deny any more comvici-
ty in ''springing" it upon the candidatse than
if we advocated the opposite side; nortare we
more responsible than would be any \editor
who admitted to his columns the discussion of
vital public question. 1t cannot be truth
fully said either that the ENQUIRER precipita-
ted this question, OF was the first to agitate it
in York county. Primarily the question OF
forming a new county, or new counties of
ofV n orior oripat q
ENQUIRER. But last July, when the question
was being agitated in the western part of the
county, citizens of that section numerously
signed petition which they prepared for pre-
sentation to the Legislature, protesting against
cutting off a part of the county and forming
a new one with portions of Union and Spar
tanburg. While this petition was circulating,
citizens of Gaffney City were industriously
laboring for the proposed new county, and not
toral notice taken of the movement. We have
discussed the question occasionally since, under
the impression, until Captain Witherspoon
fired his broadside at us, that we had the right
to do so.
Although, as will be observed, Capt. With
in support of the proposed amendment, he is
quite denunciatory of those who show reasons
why the amendment should not he adopted.
His only reasoning in favor of the amendment,
unsupported by single argument, is deduct
i've, and may be stated syllogistically: What
ever the Legislature does is right the Legis-
lature passed this Joint Resolution therefore,
the Joint Resolution is right. Or, following
his line of deduction, it might be stated
with as much show of reason, and certainly
with no less fallacy as to the conclusion
All birds are animals horses are animals
therefore, horses are birds. He thinks it
is Dangerous to discuss this question, but
pronounces loud and long against the lien law.
He has opposed this law for six years, and
regards it curse to the country. He says
it encourages extravaganza and destroys the
manhood of the people. He would not have
the poor but energetic farmer to work his
lands to their full capacity, if not blessed
with abundant means of his own but says
eff he cannot run ten-horse farm without
the lien law, let him run five-horse farm
and if not a five-horse farm, for Gods sake let
him run a one-horse farm, or one that he can
run independently - by which we suppose he
means, as Independently, for the farmer to
play the role of ''Sut Lovengood, ,'>by hitching
himself to the plow and having his wife to
drive. And it will also be observed that Capt.
Witherspoon has too high an opinion of his
own ideas, as badly as they have been scatter
ed by ''springing" on him a legitimate ques-
tion for discussiOn to even give the people an |