Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-07-26

should always be cast honestly, serious
| ly, conscientiously, and win an eye
not to remuneration or friendship or
kinship-but with an eye single to the
good of the city, county, state and ma
tion. AS Bishop Potter truly says: I'VE
must come back again and again and
again to the fact that organized society
in the form Of civil government exists
not for the benefit Of any one
who administers 1t whether he
sits at the apex, in the chair Of the
president of the United States, or In the
chair Of the local justice Of the peace.
police or tax collector, but in order that
he may serve his fellowmen In relation
of service to the state" That is a fact
too often lost sight Of. And the man
who votes for another for public office
simply because he Is friend or blood
relation and without duly considering
his relative fitness Is unworthy cit
izen and Is pursuing a policy that will
subvert all this and all other forms OF
democratic government. I am quite
human enough, my friends, to know
how hard it Is to lay aside the claims
Of friendship and consanguinity IN such
matters, but the true-hearted patrio.
will do It. He must do it, If he would
preserve our institutions Of freedom, for
as the poet writes:
81. Freedom. dwell with knowledge; I
abide
With men whom dust of faction can
not blind
To the slow tracings Of the Eternal
Mind"
Our great and exemplary patriot,
George Washington, applied this prin-
ciple throughout his public career. On
one occasion, just before his election as
president, it is said one Of his closest
friends applied for government posi-
ton. Washington's reply was: SHOULD
it be my fate to administer the govern
ment I will 60 to the chair under no
preengagement Of any kind or nature
whatever. And when in 1t 7 will, to the
best Of my judgment, discharge the du-
ties of the office with that impartiality
and zeal for the public good which
ought never to suffer connections Of
blood or friendship to have the least
sway in the decisions Of public ma
ture." There still lives fresh and green
in the hearts Of Columbia's people the
memory Of Mayor Rhett, who looked
upon public office as a public trust and
discharged it's duties fearlessly and
without regard to personal relation
ships. and with justice to all and spec
ial favors to none. For this he was
honored then and his memory Is honor
ed and cherished now.
This leads us naturally to the thought
that we should at all times place In Of
fice none but men Of character. That.
brethren, as our country is now. Is our
greatest concern. The safety Of the
government, the welfare Of the people
depend upon it. And especially Is that
the great issue with US today In our
state. We all are agreed on the funda-
mental principles Of democratic govern
ment The question now before us is,
what shall be the character Of the meh
who shall be in control? Some of our
newspapers have commented on the
dullness of our present campaign be-
cause there is no great bowling, no
SPECIAL excitement growing out OF fac
tionalism and prejudice. But because
Of this very fact, this election affords
one Of the greatest opportunities ever
presented to the people Of South Caro-
lima. Prejudice and factionalism being
set aside the political atmosphere be-
ing cleared, we have time and opportu-
nifty for sober thought, for calm ref1ec-
tion. And fellowmen, today we stand
at the Judgment bar. today we are In
the balances. This years election is
chiefly, If not entirely, a choice OF char
acters, and woe and shame to us If the
unscrupulous should be victor. Let us
send men to the state and national leg
isla lures and elect men to county and
state offices in whose characters we
have confidence, whose regulations are
unsullied, men who have integrity to
desire and courage to dare to do their
duty regardless Of consequences. Ii
sometimes happens that one vote In
our representative assemblies decides
the policy Of the government. That
policy may involve far-reaching. ire
trievable consequences in our land and
in our relationship with other nations.
Suppose we send men who can be cor
rupted, who will yield to improper In
huences and the policy adopted bring
disgrace and disaster to our country.
Then would the people Of South Caro-
lima to large degree be responsible for
the calamity, and especially so If the
character of the men were known be-
fore election. And on the other hand.
one man of character may save his sec
tion and his nation much shame and
grave peril. Great. therefore, Is our re-
sponsibility in the choosing of men.
Let us see to 1t that, so far as we are
able, only those men shall be elected to
office whose past records guarantee that
il they may not always act most wisely,
certainly tney will always act most
honorably and righteously. The vete-
ran and honored Senator Hoar, of Mas
sachusetts, recently speaking of his
state and ours, said: 81 delight to think
as I know the people Of South Carolina
delight to think, of these states of ours.
not as mere aggregations of individu-
ais. but as beautiful personalities, NOR
al beings endowed with moral charac-
ters, capable of faith. Of hope, of men,
ory, of pride, of sorrow. of joy, of cour-
age, of heroism, of honor and of shame.