Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-08-17

private ends. We have seen conspi-
racy after conspiracy fall to pieces of
their own putrid rottenness, attempted
boycotts smash the heads of those who
sought to organize them, and unli-
censed perjury bring to their proper
level those who sought, as last des-
perate resort, to practice it in high
places. Against all these things has
THE ENQUIRER stood, not alone for it.
self, but for principle and the continued
welfare of the people for whom it
labors and the manner in which we
have been, and are being sustained,
is the crowning glory of struggle in
the waging of which we hope to be
pardoned when We say we are proud.
We do not propose to 60 into many
details just at this time but we desire
here to state that so far as The En-
QUIRER has been concerned, this long,
and to most respectable people, dis
gusting controversy over the so-called
"public advertising" has not been oc-
casioned altogether by dollars and
cents. In partial explanation of this,
we will state that for all the advertis-
ing and all the job printing that The
ENQUIRER, in the A years of its exist
ence has ever done for York county,
has not amounted to as much as 50 900,
and we have not received for it that
much. There are those who have
sought to make the impression, and
there are, no doubt, those who believe
that the sum has been many times in
excess of this amount; but the whole
thing is a matter Of record, and he
who desires to prove or to disprove
this assertion, may 60 to the records
and do it. However, those who have
been trying to make the contrary i'm
preston, have all the time been aware
of the actual facts. Their charges of
corruption have only been that they
themselves might have the oppor-
tunity to steal. Although they know
that the record of THE ENQUIRER
and its relation with York county's
officials along this line have been
clean, they have realized that the
situation could be made fruitful of
corruption, and hence their struggle.
This we saw from the first, and though
there never has been time when it
was not an outrage to ask THE EN-
QUIRER to bid on equal terms with
any other paper published in this
county for this work, we maintained
our ground uncomplainingly. 1t was
not to our interest, or the interest of
the public, to allow the maintenance
of an organ for conspirators at public
expense, and year after year, at con-
siderable financial sacrifice, we have
firmly stood in the breach. Never
but one year did we fail to become
the lowest bidder. That year proved
conclusively all that is implied above.
At the rate at which the contract was
let, the printing that was done should
have amounted to S22.11. The amount
that was sworn to and paid as a just
and true account, was $10O.364. Dur
ing the past few weeks, we have made
this charge repeatedly. We have
hurled it at every individual who is
either directly or indirectly responsible
for it, and not one of them has dared
to even attempt a denial. We say
here that we can prove it before a
petit jury, with members of the very
board of county commissioners itself
as witnesses.
For years there have been all kinds
of insinuations as to exorbltant
charges made by The ENQUIRER.
We have pointed to the official records
with the assertion that every trans
action that this paper mas ever had
with public official is there. That
record is subject to examination, and
our files are open to the inspection of
whoever-no matter who-desires to
investigate them. We defy any indi-
vidual to find a single instance in
which we have failed to do all we have
promised, or in which we have receiv-
ed more for work than we were enti-
tied by law or contract.
AS the result of the ten years of
the insinuation that has been made
against US, recently we showed that
the conspirators to whom we refer are
guilty of: 1. Charging and receiving
81 where they were only entitled to
charge or receive $3.50. 2. Charging
and receiving slOO.S6t where they
were only entitled to receive S22.11.
The account was sworn to as just.
3. Charging and swearing to the cor
rootnace Of on account Of 500 in q case