Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-10-19

TO ku-KluXlSm any more than TO nave Deen
{; good Ku-klux is the test of orthodox DEM
ocratic principles now.
But the most amusing feature of the case is
that this Captains Bobadil appears in York
county long after all the Ku-klux complica-
tions have subsidized and endeavors to revive
memories which we presume large majority
of the people would be willing to forget; and
to him we again repeat what we have preyi-
ously said, that his disinterested and patriotic
resurrection of the question has no terrors for
us. While it fully dscloses the magnanimi-
ty of his own noble nature, his extreme ardor
at this late day, when all danger has passed,
and the notable characteristics which have
been developed in him since his brief but bril-
liant public appearance before the people OF
the county, give reasonable ground for the
presumption that he would haye proved most
capital hand to 60 along and hold the horses,
and if slightly cOrnered afterwards by a Major
Merrill or Judge Bond, to become swift
and willing witness as to whose horses he held.
At Rock Hill he said he was not living in
York county during those days; but when,
with extreme JUNCTION, he rattles the Ku-klux
air of one who had suffered extreme martyr
dom, while we stood and looked on with
liendish delight. If he was not citizen of
York county then, much less not implicated
in the Ku-kluX troubles, why does he take such
infinite pains to misrepresent our position on
a matter of which he coEfessedly has no per-
sonal knowledge and in which he need have
no concern? We deny the. intimate relations
between Major Merrill and ourself which he
imputes. But we do not deny that we called
on Major Merrill frequently in behalf of per-
sons arrested, and while we are glad to know
that through our intercession several were
released-some without day-we only regret
that we were not successful in every applica-
tion we made. With Ku-kluXism, such as
Mr.. John G. Wtherspoon runs up to his mast
head and so valantly flaunts at this time Of
profound peace and quiet, we were never in
accord but there was not man unfortunate
ly entrapped in that scheme who did not have
our sympathy. And if we were as blunt to
the sensibilities of gentlemen as Mr. John c..
| Witherspoon proves himself to be, we could
| give the names of those for whom we made
personal eXertion at the sacrifice of time and
money, not as paid lawyer, but without re-
ward or the expectation of reward. We are
not ashamed of our "anticedents" in this re-
spect as portrayed so graphically by the gen.
tleman who has just been so handsomely ''en-
| dorsed by the Democracy of York'-the gen.
| tleman who stands No. 4 on his ticket by less
than one-half the votes cast in the primary
election, and these obtained by as great exer-
tion as is usually made in general election
when both parties are working with all the
| fervor of partisan zeal. And yet this sick BAN
tam, with dropping feathers and contempla-
ting the plucked pnion lying on the ground,
comes forward to speak about our ''antice-
dents" With the arrogant assumption of a
Julius Caesar che doth bestride the narrow
world like Colossus, and hosting the Ku-
klux banner after it is furled by every body
else, he proposes to become the ''leader in this
political Israel" arrogating to himself the
political generaiSsimo of York county. "Upon
what meat doth this our Caesar feed that he is
grown so great % What are the "anticedents'
of this chance candidate, anyhow ? We only
know that in 1876, in his solitary ''speech," :"
which he no doubt innocently thinks proved
the turning point in that campaign, he pro-
claimed not for ''prnciple' but ''bread and
meat" and in 1882 his only slogan is abuse of
the Yorkville ENQUIRER. The interim is
yelled in dark obscurity but, with the daz-
zing splendor of the brilliant comet now seen
in the eastern sky, he suddenly emerges from
his retirement, and gliding himself athwart
the political horizon. the dazed beholder on
witnessing the Promethean display, can but
eXclaim-
"Ye gods, it doth amaze me-
A man of such feeble temper should
Sc get the stait of the majestic world,
And bear the palm Alone"
In his manifesto our political Colossus in
PRODUCES new matter as another of our ''anti-
cedents," and as it is such strong point
against us we wonder that he did not make
use Of it when unbottling his concentrated
thunder during the primary canvass. In the
long category of crimes with which he charges
us this one must have escaped his mind land yet
had he. only known it-for an honest confess
sion is good for the soul-it was as strong a
point as any he could have made against us.
But he has now made the charge in black and
white, and we have printed it just as he has
written it, 1t stands out in bold relief against
us, and as we cannot ''devert" attention from
it by any ''adroit subterfuge," our only re-
course is to meet it as best we can. He says
that we 'sadvised the people of York not to
pay the taxes to Governor Hampton's 'sagents''-
a grave charge, truly. AS this is matter of
Importance, we ask our readers to patiently
hear US through. Let us at least make our
defence before judgment is passed upon US.
While ordinarily we are opposed to introducing
such testimony, yet in this case we offer as
ground of defence that the ENQUIRER was
the first paper in the State to bring prominent
ly before the people the name of Wade Hamp-
ton. When he received the nomination, which
inaugurated the first regular organization Of
the Democratic party in the State after the
close of the war, this paper worked as zeal
ously for the success of the entire Democratic
ticket, and we claim we did as efficient service
even if, by some strange fatality, we did fail
to note the conspicuous services of Mr. John
G.. Witherspoon-as any county paper in the
State.
Hampton was elected, and as we felt that
we had contributed our feeble mite to that
success-only mite, we confess, as compared
with the conspicuous services of the brilliant
orator and eminent statesman, Mr.. John G.
Witherspoon-we also recognized it as our du
ty to sustain, to the extent of our feeble abili-
ty, the new government in the difficulties by
which it was environed. So in our issue of
the 4th of january, 1877, under the head of
''rhe Legitimate State Government" we said