The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-01-21

As-Pubiishsd every Wednesday .. u q
PEAR in advance.
Wednesday, Jan. 81. 1908.
The Shooting Of Gouzales.
The most widely discussed event OF the lac,
week.. was the shooting Of Editor N. g. Con
xalss by Lieutenant Governor James II. TIL.
man. In other columns Of this paper. pastic-
ulass Of the ssd afIAir are copied from other
newspaper. and it would be useless 70 repeat
ths story here. The parties 70 this q ara
% veil known 70 our people that nothing
which 10 mi ght say would add anything. or
contsibuse anything, 20 what 10 already
known 70 svery reader OF tne Press and Ban
nsr.
Bat - the Governor and sone OF the breth.
ron Of the pres. notably the spartanburg Her.
aid and tho Charleston News and Courier.
have dslivsksd homiiies on III subject OF
earryirg pistols and the resultant evils Of %
doing, ~ would odd 70 what they have 20
veil aid. thai - long a human nature 10
the same - it b today, ami a long o. the 81.
citing csnsss exist pistols will DO carried and
men win be shot.
II the infiuencs OF our brett sen OF the press,
Who are % shocked st the recent homicide In
Columbia. had prevailed against the nJour-
nslissic uss Of tho pen they might not DOW be
forced 70 lament the unlawful uss OF the pis.
tol.
Tue good name OF any proud M aubi-
tious estiscn 10 scarcely less sacred than his
I'm, and 10 10 we'll known that an editor has
no more fighs d any other oitisen 70 assail
the character Of another.
An.sditor may b justined In publishipg
teets, nom whioh the reader may form his
own ecaelnstons. bus he has no right what.
svse % characterize . mans conduct. or %
apply % him spithets which are Offensive
and which would bring him into contempt
Or which might tend 70 bring about . breseh
o. the peace
mo spplyins Of sptthsss d unjournal.
istae. while tho firing ola pistol at another u
unlawful
II. thsrssprs. editors would suppress vio-
ienee and murdsf. they must % order their
eoodnes a. % sos vithinethair rights, and
Dust lsara % - just and mir % all men.
THIS whoas AFFAIR b most lamentabla. Ths
good name a citizen has been assaiIed, and
the lis Of another has been taken. Two
families have been thrown into Q 90 oftrou'
bla
ma pssss and tho paipit, the people and tbs
ofaees az the isspmay moralise % they
pfsass, bot q long % there are assaults upon
ehafaeter, we shall have Faeentmer q, and
th0e rmeutments may bring bloOdshod.
M. Gonzales va . man Of ability, and Q
Speesfal writer. though he va mot . logical
thinker nor en able dsbator.
he seemingly depended more upon person.
aiitsss than upon anything else 70 win bis
o~ootrovsfsiss.
HIS possibilities foe usefulness, however.
wore nOs sxcssdsd By thoss ofany man In the
8tasa. He va s0sivs and wstchfui md
safved hts country vel. bat In his zeal hehad
not learned 70 yield the proper respect Tor the
rights and thu isslinu Of oshsrA
insessd ofaSraying hts fseA and argumsut
% snssain his posiuoa, he TOO onsn sought 70
6sfraes nom the character 0f men-nany Of
whom had given hin no other offence than
that q disagrssing from him In opinion, or
IN holding 20 different politics.
Hia ability ana s~elf.asasrtton led him 10 pre-.
sums too ax On the aoquisssnee or the cnw.
ardiss u othsrs.
And this failure 70 recognise the rights Of
othsfs anally cost him his life. and deprived
ths eeais o. the services Of . citizen. who.
with moro conservative views. would have
besa most nssfal and very Influential for
good. Unm0ssd. his impulses wore good, and
his speech va within bounds.
A. aAr a. 20 ara alba 70 judge. he VA incor-
su9tibas. Il wss his intoies anoe e his lack
q Fsspeot for others that injured his useful
nesa Being implassble he could See NO good
In thoss 70 whom no took . dislike, and be
~ litsis Slss than evil In those who dared
70 dt6sf nom hlm. Because Of these fhsts he
soEeeimss had thsappsaranos Of being unfair
though when frse nom feeling. he Justly
peSdsd himsslfon his fsiruess OF speech and
when nee from trritstioa and anger, he had
rsaasoa 70 DO proud Of b correctness Of his
setion.
Ifhis nss and dsain should prove the error
q hisstyle Of oundnctinga Newspaper, he viii
nos have lived In vain. No editor has yet
suoeseded who a~ntagonissd everybody and
fooght evsrytsins which hs did not lead or
sstAbltlh.. The wonder u, o. has often been
Hpsoapsd. that hs did not long ago excite the
violenae which he o ofien invited.
Speaking Sor tfis Newspaper, land no had
oftss ,eso unjust 70 ns) ws are sorry for his
dsash. We hoped for his recovery, and for
days srs believed that his good physioai con
ditioa ana the akiil Of the physieians would
bring him thropsh all right.
WIN more experience and with increasing
years his disposiuon would have changed.
He voald have bean more Just "a others. and
his greater power iof usefulness would have
bean jsst and realized. And having the con-
sc~isntioasness Of the eohsceness Of our y
eourss. 10 are quito SUR hat he would, SOON
q o. later. Q rscognissd that net and be.
eomso our friend.