The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-10-23
Wednesday, Oct. %, 1889.
4 Boomerang.

. II seems that the efforts OF tho Farmers
Alliance 10 ruin this newspaper mas ac'eo
like q boomerang, and is hurting the lhNe'S-
ors more than il is injuring him whom they
would destroy.
Instead of stamping out this news
paper, very little damage has been done 10 IL
New and substantial friends have Deer
drawn to the paper because OF our StralShtiol- :
ward course in treating Il practical SunJec
which interests every citizen who has the
welfare of this people at heart.
The un-American and Anarchist methods o
the boycott has not yet found sufficient lods
ment in the great heart of the people to caus.
. them TO join in q united effort to destroy a
citizen for no greater offense than his reIus
nj to consent to endorse the folly and pas
sion of the unthinking crowd, which would
bring material injury to them and thell
families.
The arbitrary act OF an organization IN as
sumiug TO deprive the citizen OF his civil OF
religious liberty will in measure prevent
our citizens from joining the organization
while it will have q tendency to alien
ate from it some OF the best anu
most intelligent members OF the orucr.
Men of intelligence do not like TO be dictated
to In the matter of reading newspaper. Inc
majority OF reading people believe that they
are fully competent to judge whether the!
ought, or ought not, to take any. particular
newspaper. A newspaper goes to the hresiuc
where it may be read not only by the head ol
the household, but in which the wife ana the
children are equally interested. and may he
more interested, than the husband ana
father. Will then, the head Of a family SUD
NIT to be ordered to deprive his wllc ana
children OF their favcrite newspaper" Ihey
are not now doing so in many cases ana
Judging from the straws before us, the peopiv
when they have had sufficient time to think
will not consent to surrender the exercise oil
their right to read any newspaper. Numbers
OF the best and most intelligent members OF
the Alliance sustain US for our lndepcnd-
epce, and will continue to take our paper, re-
gardless OF any difference Of opinion, not
withstapdiug the action OF the Alliance. The
best elements of our citizenship do not want
a muzzled press, and have but little respcc'
for the editor who follows after the crowd, IN
stead of proclaiming his honest principles
however erroneous they may be. Certain IL
is, that Abbeville County is not going 10
kill her newspaper. Even If 1t were possible
for the Alliance to "stamp OUT the Press ana
Bunner, would it be TO their credit to do so:
To make war on anybody, always has the
effect OF bringing supporters and friends 10
him who Is assailed without just provocation.
While the organization, which we learn, claims
q membership of thirteen hundred. has oeen
for six weeks expending perhaps more energy
in trying to "stamp out" this newspaper than
to fight the jute trust it Is significant that the
net loss from our list is less than hlty
subscribers. While greater number than
this have stopped their papers, other citizens
have come forward and had their names
enrolled on our list. and as the boycottin5 at
present seems to have nearly ceased, we Will
expect to regain in a very short time larger
number of names than we have lost. We
hope that the effort 10 "stamp out this news
paper Will furnish one more proof OF four
things:
Frst-That this newspaper will not be in
tImltiated from doing its duty to the public,
as it may see it.
Second-That IL Is not within the provinc'
of any set Of men tc stamp OUT the Pressa and
Banner. It will live when this editor and
this generation of people will have passed
away.
Third-That when an organization ol men
attempt to do an unconstitutional act, and
one not contemplated by the order, that the
individual members are under no obligation
TO obey the unlawful order of the organiza-
ton.
Fourth-That when any organization of
men undertake to "sLamp OUT an honest
press, that n large part Of the the best and
truest elements of the citizenship OF this
county will withhold from that organization
their countenance and support
"Let 1t be instilled into the hearts of your
children that the liberty of the press is the
palladium of all your rights"