Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-10-26
POLITICS AND PERSONALITIES.
Some Pointed Suggestions Made In q
Pointed Manner.

Some Pointed Suggestions Made In q
Pointed Manner.
Greenville News:
The Columbia State is literally foam
ing at the mouth over the appointment
Of George R. Koester as collector OF
internal revenue for South Carolina
AS editor Of the Columbia Register and
Columbia Record, it has fallen to Mr.
Koester's lot on sundry occasions to
unmask the Congaree organs ridiculous
ership In South Carolina. Hence his
appointment to an important federal
office. with headquarters at Colum-
bia, is veritabie gall and wormwood to
his journalistic enemy. The following
paragraph which we select from among
five devoted to abuse of Mr.. Koester
shows how far the temper of The State
has overthrown its sense of genteel
polemics:
1T Is asserted that President Roose-
welt saw Koester before he selected
him as an instrument to raise the
standard Of federal officeholding in
South Carolina. This is simply in
credible-or else the president, who
is a victim Of myopia, mislald his
spectacles."
When in politics newspaper has to
descend to personal ridicule in its crit
icism of a rival 1t is either hard pressed
or blinded by passion. The remarkable
part of 1t Is that so far as our judg-
ment may be taken as to a matter of
personal appearance Mr.. Koester is
rather above than below the average
newspaper men Of Columbia, not to say
q Inf hor r1l ly
think that presidents Of the United
States base their selection Of federal
officials even in the south upon scale
Of personal pulcnritude. If so how
could we possibly account for the
turning down Of The States editor-in-
chief by President Cleveland a few
years ago, when he sought federal pa
tronage from the administration at
Washington. No, Mr.. Koester's per-
sonal appearance figured for very little,
we think, in determining his appoint
ment. What is of much more moment,
however, to the people of South Caro-
lima generally and to the advocates Of
the Progressive Democracy in particu-
lar, Is the fact that he was selected by
the president as straightout, dyed
-the-wool Democrat over several pro-
nounced white Republicans. The Till
mantle organs will find it hard work
to detect In this particular appoint
ment, evidently due to Senator Nc
Laurin's influence, either an attempt
to disrupt the Democratic party or to
build up a white Republican party in
this state.
The Charlotte Observer, a thorough
ly we'll balanced and conservative
newspaper, takes this view Of Mr..
Koester's appointment:
"The appointment Of George R. Koes-
ter, of Columbia, to the position Of COL
lector of internal revenue for South
Carolina, is to be taken as an indica-
ton that Senator McLaurin's influence
upon the late President Mckinley Is,
at least in a measure, to be continued
so far as South Carolina appointments
go, under the Roosevelt administration.
Mr.. Koester Is the editor Of the Colum-
bia Record, an afternoon paper which
has championed the cause Of Senator
McLaurin ever since his declaration
Of independence" and has also vigor-
ously combatted the Bryan and Till
man wing Of the Democratic party.
Mr.. Koester is also close friend Of the
senator. He Is a young man, being
perhaps IS years of age"