The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-04-11
NO ENEMY TO COLUMBIA.

week as ''u0falr, unIIlenuly, auO toLal!J
without excuse" It also says thai
what we said is indefinite.
The Herald and News stated thai
the Columbia military companies made
mistake in refusing to respond to the
order of Governor Tillman and dis
banding. In this connection We made
this statement:
ut seems to US that Of late the citi.
zens of Column 5ia can always be counted
on to do the wrong thing just at the
right time to please their opponents
There are certain leaders there who
seem to have forgotten that there are
any other people in the State outside OF
Columbia"
And this is the statement The State
construes as unfriendly to Columbia.
The Herald and News does not care
at this time to discussehe action OF the
military companies in refusing to re-
spond to the call of the Governor, not
because of the weakness of our position
or frc-l any fear of being able to main
tain the correctness Of it, but because
we can see no good to come from dis
cussing it at this time, or anything to oe
accomplished by it. The more we think
of it and the more we see it discussed,
the more strongly we are convinced
that the Columbia and Charleston COM
panies and others made great mistake
10 disbanding and in refusing to re-
spond to the call of the Governor. Ii
every company is to: be the Judge as u
when it will respond. to the Governors
call, when the law gives him the power
to call them out, we see no need OF q
militia. Such a militia is worse than
none at all.
The Herald and News did not say
there was any mob in Columbia OF
anywhere else. On the contrary VIC
said we did not believe there was
any there or anywhere else, and that
in our opinion there was no need to
call out the militia. but in the opln'
ion of Gov. TiIlman there was need fol
calling it out, and when he called, it was
the duty of the militia to respond, ana
in the town and city companies not
doing it they made a mistake and
plaved into his hands, if be desired to
make political capital out Of il. But
we put it on higher ground, that II
was their duty to respond to the call, OF
thew should not have been holding
commissions under the Cove rnor.
And we repeat what we said last
week that it seems to US that there are
some politicians in Columbia who have
lost all political wisdom. They may
be pretty good theorists bat they seem
to have no conception of practical poll
tics. And in saying this we would not
have them sacrifice any principle OF
compromise themselves in any way.
But their opposition to Tillman as
sumes at times the bitter partisanship
of the extreme and bitter Tilimanites
themselves, The Herald and News can
not 60 with or follow the lead of extrem'
lists on either side. The Herald aud
News stands for that which it believes TO
be right, and hope never 10 become such
a bitter partisan that We connot see the
errors of our own side, and the good OF
the other faction.
Ifthis position is to be construed as
enmity to Columbia we can't help it.
IfGov. Tillman should pray for more
such opponents, so be it. You will al
ways find US on the side Of truth and
Justice and fair dealing as our judg-
ment and conscience may point them
out to US. We may err. We may make
mistakes, but they will be errors and
mistakes of the head and not the heart.
And we will stand by our convictions
to the end or until we are convinced
they are wrong. Wehave no apologies
to make or excuses to offer.
The militia was called 10 Darlington
to keep the peace and not to protect the
spies any more than any one else' and
they should have gone.
Tho Herald and News is q friend to
Columbia, and would delight in her
prosperity, but that friendship will not
prevent US from criticising the actions
of her citizens when we think the crit
icism is deserved.
There is much more we might say,
but we can see no good to come from it.
We have said this much so that those
who may have doubt as to our position
may know just where we stand.