Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-03-22
A Question of Fairness.


A Question of Fairness.
This is from THE YoRKvILLE EN-
oUIRER:
Referring to the refusal of the state
board of dispensary directors to grant
the alleged petitions for the establish
ment of distilleries in Kings Mountain
township the Columbia State says:
Several good reasons actuated the
board, but the principal one, which
would alone have been sufficient was
that the distllleries would be too near
the city of Yorkyille and the King s
Mountain Military School"
In view Of the fact that there is no
Kings Mountain Military school, and
in view of the further fact that the
proposed distilleries were not to have
been located within ten miles of York
ville we hardly think that the ridicu-
lous reasons assigned are to be charged
to the state board Of control. To us
they seem 10 have been thrown in by
the Columbia State altogether as a
gratuity.
THE ENQUIRER intimated some time
ago that it entertained more kindly
feeling for the State than was reclpro-
Gated. We would appreciate to the
point of enthusiasm a display Of ordi-
nary fairness on the part Of THE EN-
ouIRER. In the first place the sentence
quoted was from a local" reporting a
meeting Of the dispensary directors,
and therefore, should not be assumed
by those familiar with the custom of
this paper to be an expression of the
State. Next, the sentence preceding
that quoted by the Yorkville paper
read: individual members of the board
said several days ago that the petition
would be refused, and no contest was
made" The sentence, reproduced by
THE ENQUIRER was but a statement
from a member of the board-H. H.
Evans, we are informed-to s reporter.
and taken in connection with the re-
mainder Of the report should have
been considered as coming from the
board instead of having been thrown
in by the Columbia State altogether
as a gratuity." The dispensary board
and not this paper is responsible, be
the declaration wise or ridiculous
Columbia State, March 81.
Let us not get off the issue. Wheth-
er or not it will be understood by the
public there is no question of the fact
that it is very we'll understood by THE
ENQUIRER and the State.
Because Of the noise that was raised
by those distillery petitions, and be-
cause it had been established beyond
question that at least vast majority
of the alleged signatures were for
geries, nobody up this way believed
that the state board of dispensary di-
rectors would have the hardihood to
permit the establishment of the dis
tilleries prayed for even If it so de-
sired. The board may be guilty of
more fragrant violations Of law and de-
cency; but if so. examination into the
facts, will show that the inducements
were much greater than could have
been possible in this case.
We do not pretend to say that the
distilleries would have been establish
ed even if the alleged signatures had
been genuine: but after what occurred,
we certainly looked for no further IA
vorable action OH the part Of the state
board of dispensary directors, and we
don't think the Columbia State did
either.
Under the circumstances. it was very
natural that we should be impressed
by the States apology for the boards
decination to grant the petitions. The
facts showed that the reason given was
merely preteXt. and If the State did
not know it, it ought to have known 1t.
That the alleged reasons originated
with Mr.. H. Fl. Evans, we shall not at
tempt to dispute. We will take the
States word for it. However it is GER
tainly Il fact that as the statement ap-
peared, the State must be held respon-
sible Mr.. Evans was not quoted, and
the alleged explanation was not mod
iied by even so much as they say.
The States idea Of editorial reSpon-
sibility for local statements may be in
teresting; but that is not an issue just
now. This alleged explanation as to
the boards reason was given as a
statement Of fact, not by the board, but
by the reporter, and if the editor is
not aware that his paper is responsible
for the statements of his reporters as
we'll as of himself, he might do we'll to
study the matter up, else sometime
the information may be impressed on
him in a matter that will prove pain
full us we'll as surprising.