Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-04-04

county papers, and since the patent
outsides have come in vogue, with
few creditable exceptions, the county
newspapers have deteriorated very
sensibly from what they were 15 years
ago. Competition has caused them to
reduce their subscription, and while
the subscribers get as much as they
pay for, it is nevertheless evident that
the newspapers do not furnish as much
and as good news as they used TO.
In regard TO the state committee
fixing the dates for the meetings in
the campaign, it has been considered
necessary in order to prevent clash
in counties, and always to arrange
the meetings in rotation so that in a
given week certain contiguous territory
might be covered. If the papers Of
the state could be induced to give fair,
full and unbiased reports of speeches,
and honest and truthful statements as
to the numbers and the happenings at
the meetings, the objections which
you have urged against the present
system would leave hardly any reason
for its continuance, and by this do not
mean the daily papers alone, for they
are read to very limited extent, ex.
cept in the towns, and the masses of the
voters read only weeklies. 1t seems
that arrangements could be made TO
have speeches given Oh the patent out
sides just as easily as to have love
stories and trash which now appear in
them.
After all I do not know that we
need to be worried about the matter
Any man who can make such speech
as the people want to hear and give
them instruction or amuse them, will
always lie able to obtain an audience /;
and if they do not want man to talk
any longer they will let him know it.
Then by reversing the order of speak
ing and alternating days every
man will have a fair chance. If the
crowd have come to hear any special
man they will make it known, and the
others will voluntarily hurry through
and get out of the way.
Whatever is done we should cling
to the freedom of discussion and joint
debate, and the primary system as the
very essence of Democracy. Rather
than give these up it would be hetter
to confine the speeches to candidates
for governor alone. The other state
house officers do not outline policies,
but are largely administrative officers,
while the governor not only influences
Legislation, but by the use of the ap.
pointing power and veto controls pub.
lie affairs, if he should he man of
any force and ability. 1t may be
worth while to try the plan of having
no meetings under the auspices of the
state committee, but turn all the can
didales loose and let them arrange
their own meetings, or attend such as
the county committees arrange, and the
people who get up picnics invite them
to but until the newspapers change
their policy of recent years, and also
be more industrious in furnishing the
voter with readable and fair and relia-
BILE reports of what is being said and
done by the candidates, the system Of
joint discussion in one form or another
will be demanded by the people and no
candidate can safely neglect it. One
of Jeferson's maxims was "teach the
people and trust the people," and un-
der the existing conditions in our state
there is no certain way to have this
done except through the medium Of
public debate. Yours sincerely,
B. R. TILLMAN