Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1890-03-27
Tho Position Of tho Press.

Tho Position of the Press.
1t is pleasant to find that the posi-
ton of the Grccnvillc Daily Ne,os in
the matter of nominations ct tho
March convention is heartily sus-
tanned by such consistent and earnest
friends of the Farmers Movement
rs the Ncwberry Observer, the
Orangeburg Times Democrat and
the KEowEE COURIER. In fact the
only newspapers of position and i'm
portance sustaining March nomina-
tions are the Laurensvillc Herald
and the Grecnvillc Enterprise and
Mouataineer. Even tho Edgcfeld
papers, printed in Mr.. Tillman's own
county, arc non-committal:
1t will be well for the farmers to
consider whether thcrc is not some
sound and honest reason why these
newspapers which have worked with
them SO faithfully now urge them to
call a halt and decline to do the bid
ding of the leaders.
Nobody can doubt the loyalty of
these newspapers to the cause. They
were with it when it was weak and
unpopular: their earnest advocacy
did much to give it strength. They
have asked nothing from it, They
are above the suspicion of selling
out if there was anybody to buy
them. Their editors arc asking no
offices Of anybody and are not in
politics.
The Laurcnsvillc Herald is a
good and ably edited newspaper and
it's editors arc justly respected and
trusted by everybody; but it must
be remembered that the Herald is
printed at the headquarters Of the
Shell-Tillman wing of the party and
is peculiarly exposed to the influence
of that wing. AS for our esteemed
local contemporary, it has not been,
so far rs we are informed, remark
ably active or outspokcn in its advo-
cacy of the Farmers Movement or
any other cause except, to do it cx-
act justice, that of prohibition.
When the ObserOey, the KEowEE
COURIER, the Orangcburg Times
Democrat and other newspapers Of
their kind, having no interests but
those of the people, subject to no in
fiucncc but that of the people, with
out axes to grind or favoritcs to
boost, unite in the declaration that
nominations in March will be dis
astrous error, we think they arc en-
titled to have their opinions CON
sidcrcd as those of honest and dis
interested friends who have studied
the situation carefully, who sec both
sides and who arc reasoning coolly
and without prejudice.
On the other hand it is fair that
the conditions, motives and purposes
of those on the other side of the
question should be considered and
weighed along with what they. have
to say in favor of nominations in
March. How many of those who
are urging that action have been or
are trying to be for tho first time or
for the manyeth time office holders
How many of them have special
friends candidates for high Offices ?
How many of them are themselves
declared candidates for places
The people have the right to en-
quire into and consider these mat
tcrs without assailing the good faith
or patriotism Of anybody. They
have the right to learn for themselves
how far Judgment may be governed
by interest, consciously or uncon-
sciously, before accepting that
Judgment for their guidance.
tits to be remembered that the only
reason given for the March nomi-
nations, 80 far as VIC have seen, is
that tho farmers lost a victory in
1886 because they went to the State
Democratic Convention unpreparcd,
without a slate and without definite
candidates. Yet the fact is that
there was slate prepared by B. 'R.
Tillman, Of Edgefeld, with John 9,