Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-07-12

self with sufficient frequency and ac-
curacy as to leave no reasonable doubt
as to the lessons it would teach.
F. THE Hub Evans way of meeting de-
famatory charges made in newspapers
by anonymous correspondents for which
the editor holds himself responsible,
ought to teach some editors lesson.
Editor Blackman, Of the GreenVille
News, has been particularly reckless In
preferring charges against members OF
the state board of directors of the dis
pensary, charges which he could not
possibly prove even were they true. IL
there is corruption In any public once,
it is a duty of newspapers to expose It,
but the editor should pc fortified by
proofs, else the public will have no con-
fidence in him or his assertions. Editor
Blackman had nearly reached that
point, and, in addition, has been sub
iected to the humiliation Of being pub
licly chastised and spanked by the ge-
NAL though fiery Hub Evans.-Colum-
bia Record.
At the risk of getting a licking just
as Mr.. Blackman got, and which we
are prepared to take if it comes in the
line of duty as in his case, we beg to
say that we have carefully read all that
The Greenville News has had to say,
and we do not consider that 1t has
printed anything that it was not war
ranted in printing. 1t has made no
charges. What it printed was facts
and very interesting facts. 1t may be
that somebody has lied; but it was not
The News, and if anybody has lied we
are unable to see how that fact Is to be
established by personal violence. What
The Record says in defense Of Mr..
Evans does not sound very we'll to us,
somehow. For instance take this: If
there Is any corruption in any public
office it is a duty of a newspaper to ex-
pose it." Editor Blackman, of
the Greenville News, has been particu-
larly reckless in preferring charges
against members Of the state board OF
directors Of the dispensary, CHARGES
WHICH HE COULD NOT POSSIBLY PROVE
EVEN IF THEY WERE TRUE" That looks
bad. "If there is corruption In public
office it is the duty of a newspaper to
prove it, yet to prove it Is impossible
Our contemporary would impose task
that is manifestly quite difficult. 1t Is
true that it is impossible to prove these
charges, according to the ordinary rules
Of evidence, because, If the corruption
is going on as some people have reason
to suspicion, the individuals who are
guilty of this corruption make 1t point
to see that there is no evidence by
which they can be convicted. The
writer of the article in The News, to
which Mr.. Evans objected, states GER
tain alleged facts like this: "Previous
to the time that Mr.. Evans went to the
legislature he was without means OF
consequence. Since his election as
member Of the board Of dispensary d.
rectors, at a salary Of $400 year, he
has been able to buy fine plantations,
fine horses and keep open-house well
stocked with fine liquors for his
friends" Now If this statement be
true, it does not necessarily follow that
Mr.. Evans's prosperity is derived from
his s4O0 salary or even from the dis
pensary. The correspondent does not
say. It may be that Mr.. Evans has
some other source of income. 1t may be
that in describing Mr.. Evans's prosper
ity, the correspondent lied out Of the
whole cloth. But, at best. the case is a
peculiar one, and we do not think that
personal violence is a very satisfactory
explanation. We think it would have
been better had Mr.. Evans either shown
that he is not enjoying the sudden
prosperity with which he is credited or
give satisfactory explanation Of that
prosperity. We. do not know Mr..
Evans: but we have heard of him. We
have it straight from two responsible
and trustworthy citizens Of York coun-
ty, that Mr.. Evans told them, either in
so many words or in effect, that he in
tended to defeat senator Brice for re-
election, because Senator Brice had re-
fused to vote for him for dispensary di-
rector. Now this is none of our quar-
rel; but somehow we have an idea that
Senator Brice had a right to vote for
whom he pleased in this matter, and
while the people of York county will, at
the right time, settle with Mr.. Brice as
they see proper, we do not believe that
they will especially appreciate the in
reference Of Mr.. Evans In their local
affairs.