The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1892-04-20
SIN Touch With the Pain People"
TGreenville News.

We forget what comment we made
on the phraseology" Of the Columbia
Register, but whatever our remark was
it is the occasion for quite an eruption
Of humanity upon the editorial surface
Of that peculiar contemporary. 1t re-
minds US a good deal of Uriah Heep
who, we are told in David Copperfed,
declared his umbleness until umbleness
seemed to break out Oh him in a cold
and unwholesome perspiration.
The editor declares that hewas "born
on farm, reared on farm and never
attended school after his thirteenth
year." Hence, he says, ne is. in full
touch with the plain people. He
doesn't pretend, he declares, to elegant
dictio1 and we'll rounded sentences like
the G.eenville News.
The editor of the Greenville News is
informed that be was himself born on
farm. He quilted school at fourteen
and was reared, to a considerable ex-
tent, in hardware store. He sold
good many building supplies and dealt
largely with carpenters and was there
fore fully in touch with the ''plane'
people.
Til: editor of the State was likewise,
We believe, born on farm. He hardly
went to school at all and graduated in
telegraph office. Sowe do not see why
be shouldn't be in touch with the plain
people likewise.
The truth is the matter Of birth and
education doesn't fix mans status in
this fight and isn't going to count for a
cent. Some of the most extreme, rant
ing, violent demagogues we know Of
are men of what's called in this coun-
try "highn birth and collegiate educa-
ton. On the other hand some of the
most violently and vindictively and
extremely conservative men are of hum
bic origin and have had very limited
educational advantages.
The Register may not know it, but
the people of South Carolina are tool in
telligent to be fooled by old political
tricks which used to be effective in some
parts of the country in 1910. Then men
could 60 about in copperas breeches
and dubious shirts and fool people into
IT, belief that that style of rig placed
them sin touch with The plain people"
It is different now and here. Our peo-
pie despise dude, but they want a man
to appear as well as he can. Governor
Tillman wears good clothes and put on
kid gloves to be inaugurated in.
| The Greenville News would consider
that it insulted its constituency if it
failed to print the best and most decent
English it can produce in hurry. The
Register will find that the people do
not now accept any man as in touch
with them merely because he says he
is; nor do they know any difference
between "plain" people and any other
kind. We are all jlst people, South
Carolinians and Democrats here. They
may have aristocrats and commona!ity,
patriciaAs and plebeians in Georgia and
other States, but here we are all just
people. Few Of US are rich, many Of US
are so 50 and a good many are poor, but
we all have to pay taxes and all have
to work for our livings in one wcv or
another.
The people sometimes accept man
at his promises, but they hold him to
them and when he fails Of performance
the people begin TO weaken Oh him and
TO consider the propriety Of casting him
out. He can not then save himself by
talking of being in touch with the
plain people or having his friends doit.
Words are easy. Acts are what we go
by.