The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1898-01-21
PArRIorIC ENrHuisIAsM.


in truth patriotic occasion. A like
meeting is called for the same
place to-day, and we hope for even
larger attendance, and that all
who come will bring their enthusi-
asm with them.
The HERALD cOngratulates the
stockholders of the Citizens Com
pany, over the happy results of the
meeting last Friday. They did just
exactly as they should have done,
in that they spurned the offer to buy
them out, and instead went down in
their pockets like patriots to pay the
debt their struggling little company
had unavoidably incurred. Their
action has inspired more hope in
their ranks and more confidence in
the minds of the public, than any
step taken since their organization.
They have shown their faith by
their works, and evinced a determi-
nation to win that must have struck
terror to the hearts of their enemies.
The Bell proposition was not read
to the meeting. They very properly
refused to hear it. They were not
for sale, AID didn't propose to be
bid at. They started out to fight a
monopoly, not to sell out to one.
That had been the prominent plank
in their platform, and they were not
ready to betray themselves into the
hands of their enemy, or sell their
birthright for mess of pottage. fO
And now that some two or three
hundred of our citizens have taken
that stand, what are the balance of
us going to do about it? Whose
colors will we wear! Shall we fol-
low a foreign flag, and give aid and
comfort to foreign monopoly !
Shall we prove traitor to the little
Spartan band who are fighting for
the dear privilege of conducting a
legitimate business in their own
territory! Shall we give encourage
ment and support to a rich and pow
erful foreign corporation in their
avowed purpose to starve out a home
enterprise?
Is that the character of men we
grow in Maury? We trow not! But
let US not deceive ourselves. We
cannot serve both the Bell and the
Citizens. The man who helps the
one hurts the other. A mans "sym-
pathies" for the Citizens cause is
not worth cent, so long as his name
is on the Bell list. There is but one
effective way to fight monopolies,
and that Is not to patronize them.
There is but one way to help home
enterprises, and that is to patronize
them. Talk is cheap. By our &C
tions we shall be judged. Is it right,
is 1t fair, is 1t patriotic, is it manly,
to swallow fifty cent bait, when
we know that but for the public
spirit and true grit of those who
compose the Citizens Telephone
Co., the old rate would still prevail?
Is 1t not the rankest ingratitude to
accept a rate purchased at the ex.
pense of your neighbor? Is it not
supremely selfish to accept a gift
which comes as blood money from
your neighbors, your kindred and
your friends? Can any mans con.
science rest easy when he has thus
sinned against his own kith anC
kin? You who have done without
telephones all your lives, can't you
| do without little while longer, un,
til you feel able to patronize YOU
home company, OF untilt the company
gets able to build you a home liner
Stop, realize this, my friend. L
is just such men and women as you
who give strength and power to al
these soolless, plutocratlc, foreign
corporations, SO grinding upon the
labor of this country and SO merci
less in their rates. When the tim,
comes to vote they bait their hool
for the purchasable vote. Whel
the time comes to lobby, they bal
their hook for the purchasable legis
lator. When the time comes t,
starve out competition, they bal
their hook with cheap rates, and tn
men and women who bite at thes
hooks are their aiders and abettors
Let every man and woman, there
fore, who love their country bette
than their own selfish convenience
discard the Bell from their use an,
come to the support of the Citizens
Company. .'
If the Americans statement i
correct-and we shall not under
take to prove the negative-then tn,
HERALD was wrong in its statemen
concerning Mr.. McMillin's recort
| Cor IOOO MI. Ho1 49,, l.,