The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-02-01
HAVE WE SINNED ?

Because the Press and Banner Is
willing to be Just, Furnishes no
Good Reason to charge the Editor
With Being ga COnvert''-Isn't 1t
More Reasonable to Say That Till
man is Getting Right?
Is Brother Hugh Wilson q convert? The
last issue Of the Abbevile Press and Banner
contains an editorial asking why there Is so
much faultfnding In the papers. he thinks
the thing Is overdOne. He comes out strong.
| ly for the dispensary and railroad bllis ana
| endorses Tillmap's course In the sale OF the
| Az per cents.-Columbia Register.
| In reply to our contemporaries question as
But we have the disposition to express an
opinion on such subjects as may command our
I'VE We endorsed very little that Mr.. Tillman
did and said as candidate, and we said 80 al
the time.
Now, If he, as an officer, discharges his duty
| in any particular instance In such way as 10
charged with being "a convert" II we speak
with the same earnestness and the same can.
dor that characterized our speech when he
did that which we disapproved?
Having criticised Mr.. Tillman as candi-
date have we not then the right 10 endorse
such of his official acts as meet our approval |?
| If we censure him when he does wrong, do
| we mol hCl uDIdlTly il we JUDI
honest acknowledgment OF his meritorious
We believe that every taxpayer of the State
of South Carolina has reason TO be thankful
even with a six months interest coupon
thrown in.
In the first place. the Hampton government
took advantage OF the wrongful act OF the
Radical Legislature In repudiating or reduc-
| Ing the public debt TO fifty cents on the dollar,
regardless OF the justice OF any Individual
By the act Of the Radical Legislature debt
of eighteen millions was reduced to nine mil.
lions.
The Democratic Legislature then sifted the
revised debt and threw out that part OF the re-
duced debt which was termed fraudulent t.
leaving debt OF only six millions, which the
State acknowledged.
While the Legislature look ed into the Radi.
lent debt included on our side, yet our Legis.
lature did not assume to pay the just debt
which the Radicals threw out. 1t was heads
| WIN, tails you lose. In this transaction we
| blush 10 the face Of every South Carolinian. .
The Tillnlan officers not content with WILL
| Tying and abusing nearly every body In this
State whom we had been taught TO respect,
were unwilling to let this old reprehensible
act perish and disappear from the minds OF
the people. but actually had synopsls OF the
old settlements reprinted and scattered broad
cast over this land. !
! When Mr.. Tillman was inaugurated into Of
fee, and attempted to carry out bis promise
| TO refund the State debt at per cent, various
election had much to say against Mr.. Till
man. the seeming object being TO tpjure him
In the public estimation, the result being, in
cldentally; to bring his government n m into & dig
We submit. then, with state Of facts like
these. that the taxpayers have reason to be
thankful that the debt has been as well as set
tied a y H. seems now TO be.
Is there any wrong in the Press and Banner
| being satisfied with an official act which
seems to be advantageous to the people, and
which result was brought about in the face Of
the greatest difficulties?
| Is there any wrong In protesting against the
mistakes Of Tillman papers tn abusing every
| body and In seeking TO array the country peo-
pie against the town people?
! Is there any wrong In protesting against the
| indiscreet acts Of newspapers on our own
side, which acts can have no other effect than
The people OF South Carolina are about
equally divided on the subject OF prohibition
"a majority of some ten thousand having
AS rule, the prohibitionists have asked for
more and received less than any people on
| the lace Of the earth.
But we believe they have never yielded one
iota OF any advantage that they ever gained.
They are In this fight from conscientious con-
victlons. They believe the abuse OF liquor is
| an evil. lu6y OelleN0 Guc Du6lucoS vi tue
bar rooms is to sell liquor, and they believe
| that any number of "blind tigers" are less
hurtful than the licensed bars. They believe
bsfs
ever you find prohibitionist the probability
| Is, that you will find man who sustains the
dlspensary law. II is, first OF all, prohibition,
numerous places for retailing liquor.
| Is there any wrong in prohibition paper
which paper is OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES law
which the editor believes 10 be long step to-
wards prohibition. though actually falling far
short of prohibition?
In former days the people looked to Charles
ton, as leader, but that day has given place
| to som ething else.
They look now upon her acts with more OF
suspicion than Of confidence. Charleston
doesn't seem TO regard the county people as
on an equal footing with the citizens OF that
city, as Is evidenced In the official proclama-
tion of the city authorities In granting IL
censes contrary 10 the express terms Of the
law. The abnormal condition OF public senti.
ment at this time. TO say nothing Of the &C.
Charleston, makes II highly impolitis for the
city council to declare that II will disregard
! the law OF the State IN reference 10 the grant
ing Of licenses. 1t Is further impolitic and
unwise for a few malcontents TO combine with
the bar keepers Of Charleston. In any attempt
10 defeat the prohibition sentiment OF the
country people and incidentally to bring dis.
com posed largely OF prohibitionists and fol-
lowers Of Tillman. The followers Of Tillman
will stick TO him under any circumstances.
and the prohibItionists will solidly support
the dispensary bill.
Isn't IL worse than foolish for the opponents
OF the dispensary law to com bine Will few
bar keepers and attempt TO defeat the conl-
bined strength OF the Tiilmanites and the pro-
/ hibitionists?
| Believing that q small faction OF the oppo-
nents OF the present administration are
pledgng our side to political suicide In max
Ing any such combination, Is there any wrong
In saying so?
Our contemporary misunderstands us when
he says we are "strongly for the railroad" law.
We think the government officers and the
Legislature have treated the railroads most
shabbiy, and in manner unworthy OF The
State Of South Carolina, but for all that theI Q
is no use OF magnifying the evil from which
we are suffering. At most. 1t can be only a
lem porary oppression. The great public
heart may be SO wrought upon that State Of
ficias may feel authorized for q time 10 rob
and wrong those non.voters who come With
IN their power, but that sense OF Justice which
Is In every American heart. will sooner or
later assert Itself. There Is no use ofaaying
that the railroad builders are to be run out OF
South Carolina. They may suffer for little
while, but the railroads and the PEE p must
get together. Their interests mutually de-
pend upon each other.
We don't admit that temporary wrong to
the railroads will make the owners tear up
their tracks or prevent them from building
car shops at Abbeville, as some OF our con-