Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-10-19
ground, on the faith we have in our reporter,

ground, on the faith we nave IN our reporter,
whose ability and correctness have been con.
stantly tested in our service for fourteen years,
that the reports of Mr.. John G. Witherspoon's
harangues in various parts Of the county, in
Guiding his last one in the Court House, were
correctly made to u.s. We have never changed
one of those reports in the remotest particular
from the manner in which it was written for
publication. TO change the meaning of
public address delivered before an audience Of
fifty or hundred intelligent men, all of whom
would read it when printed, might compOrt
with Mr. John G. Witherspoon's ideas of pro-
priety and self respect, but we would not en-
danger the ENQulRER'S reputation for verac-
ity by any such methods. We, then, deny
having misrepresented any of MIR. John c.
Witherspoons harangues that we pretended
to report, to-wit : the one at Hickory Grove,
ut Fort Mill, at Rock Hill and at Yorkville.
In all these he was correctly represented. If
| the question resolves itself into one of veraci-
| ty as between Ourself and Mr. John &. Witll-
erSpoon, and we felt it incumbent upon our
self to introduce single witness to substan-
tiatc our simple statement as against his most
solemn asseveratiOn, we should hang our head
in shame and feel that the forty-nine years of
our life, passed almost continuously in this
community, where we were raised, was a life
time spent in vain. We are not on the wit
ness-stand. The burden of proof in this case
is on John G, Witherspoon, Attorney-at-law.
If his harangue in the Court House was incor-
rectly reported, as he charges, why does he not
prove it ? Certainly since that day he has had
the opportunity to consult persons who heard
him.
We say that in the Court House he never
used the name of Mr.. a. G. Sutton or Mr..
Stephen Sutton in connection with the mystic
rious conversation he so graphically narrated !;
and OH this point, as Others, he was correctly
reported but to his supplemental explanation
and the letter he introduces as to our alleged
conversation with Mr.. A. G. Sutton or Mr.
Stephen Sutton, the statement, in every essen
tial is absolutely and unqualifedly false. AS
to another denial he makes in this connection,
he says: "Again you do me an injustice by
Saying in Your Paper that told the people of
Rock Hill in my speech not to take Your
Paper.' Here he shows his perverseness in
another form. He was reported as follows
''But the ENQUIRER is not deserving of the
patronage ofthe people. A great many people
take it because they cannot help themselves ;
but l do not think the people ought to take it
at ALL" These were his exact words.
Again, says this most veracious Demos
themes, ''whose laundering elOquence will
sound along the corridors of time for countless
centuries to Gomez "You have done me an
injustice by reporting me as saying that at
Hickory Grove a paper was going around for
signatures pledging the signers to vote for
no man from the eastern side of the county,
and to 60 against Rock HILL" This has re-
ference to his Court House harangue on the
23rd of September. Our reporter assures us
that lie has not seen the report Of that ha-
rangue since the day the paper containing it
was printed, but as it was remarkable as
serton even for Mr.. John G. WitherspoOn to
make, and to be certain that no error was
made in writing out the report, he referred to
his note book, since the denial was received,
and from it he read as follows: cat Hickory
Grove, on the opening Of the canrass, a paper
was going around for signatures pledging
the signers to vote for no man from the
Rock Hill. The day of the speaking at Hick-
Org Grore was cloudy, and as l had never
Travelled the road to that place, was bother
ed to keep the points of the compass and ar
rived late. After the speaking commenced,
Col. w. gave his views OIL the Amendment
question, and Sen. H. was put up to speak at
the close of the meeting" This is taken
from the reporters notebook. We have not
compared it with the printed version, being
satisfied with the original. BY noting the
connection of place, time and speakers, it
will readily be seen that there has been no
Misrepresentation of what he said. The can
vass opened at Hickory Grove and except at
Clover it is the only place at which Senator
Hart spoke during the canvass We could 60
on and substantate, in all material points,
every sentence that he is reported in these col
umns to have said but we deem the task en-
tirely superfluous. He may twist and turn as
he will, but the facts remain the same. His
predicament has been done up in verse by al
ancient poet and so applicable is it to his ter
giversations that for his own amusement we
quote it in full:
There lived sage in days ofyore
And he a handsome pig tail wore;
But wondered much and sorrowed more
Because it hung behind him.
He unused upon this curious case,
And swore he'd change the pig-taiPs place,
And have it hanging at his face,
Not dangling there behind him.
Says he: 1.-The mystery I've found;
I'll turn me round" He turn'd him round
But still it hung behind him.
Then round and round and out AM in,
All day the puzzled sage did spin;
In vain-it mattered not pin
The pig tail hung behind him.
And right and left and round about,
And Up and down, and in and out
He turned but still the pig tail stout
Hung steadily behind him.
Aud though his efforts never slack;
md though he twist and twrl and tack;
Alas still faithful to his back
The pig tail hangs behind him.
But fearing that Mr.. John G. Witherspoon
will come to the conclusion that we are trying
to ''burlesque" him, and assuring him that
our veneration for so illustrious and distin-
guished gentleman as he is would preclude
the possibility of any such attempt, we pass
on to such other portions of his letter as we
care to notice. For wonder he does not de-
ny being the fourth man on the ticket but he
thinks it cruel and splenetic in lis to remind
him of the disagreeable fact. We did express
the opinion that his ''election"i is by no means
an endorsement of him, but was an adventi-
tiOus result brought about merely by fortui-
tous circumstances, among them the candi-
dacy Of Messrs. Hood and Chambers, both in
the same section of the county, and both occu-
nvipr tho Samp noSitiDn IN tho only u,nctjon