Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-09-01

dens and such are prerequisite to what
Is called "a good town." There Is
naturally affinity between these In
stitutions and his kind.
OF course he lied. Charlotte was
never so prosperous or so peaceable
as today. The effort to run down
this city will only react upon Its
slanderers. Business men of all par
ties and factions resent this piece OF
malicious mischief. We are glad to
see that the Biblical Recorder has
Its eyes open to the evil influences OF
1.-The Observer, though why its steady
degeneration has not been noticed be-
fore is a mystery. Says the Bibli-
cal Recorder:
1--WE are surprised at the desperate
tactics of the opponents Of prohibi-
ton laws in Charlotte and Green's
boro.
The Charlotte Observer, whose
pages for years have been devoted
to most loyal praise and enthusiastic
faith in the Queen City, now comes
with dismal croakings- Of the dull
city, of the dead and dying
city. We could not believe 1t but
for the pages before us. That is not
like the Charlotte Observer. and in
all friendliness we say so. We respect
that papers convictions. and We hope
1t will repent Of its unworthy way of
expressing them. The want Of bar
rooms never yet destroyed a city.
But croaking will injure any place.
How Ill it becomes Charlotte!"
| We should think after this that
even Charity and Children would be-
gin to smell a little smoke.
OF course the Wilmington Messen'
ger quotes the Observer with glee
Wilmington has the open saloon, has
Wilmington-the source Of prosper
ity and editorial inspiration-some-
times. Charlotte was prospering be-
fore It abolished saloons, just as
Wilmington Is today. But there is
hardly any business, unless perhaps
that of the saloon newspaper, that
has not felt the good effects Of turn
ing the saloon money into other
channels.
Not content with this exhibition of
spite against a city In which the OBJ
server has totally lost its leadership,
the Observer has begun a malicious
and outrageous course Of persecution
Of the city administration that 1t
twice tried In vain to defeat. 1t has
charged it with wastefulness, extrav-
agance, incompetency, and covertly
with graft. The editor Of The
Standard gave a whole day to the
Investigation Of these charges and the
answers Of the officials to them.
Their answer was absolutely conclus-
i've, and absolutely proved by the
facts After the publication Of the
answer, there was nothing left for
the Observer to do but to make the
poor reparation of an apology to Of
ficials and the public. No honorable
newspaper would have attempted
anything else. and In saying that, the
Standard is only echoing the deliber-
ate judgment of fair-minded men,
formerly counted friends Of the OBJ
server. That the Observer should
| have so far degenerated ffom us
former position as a fair-minded pa
per Is a melancholy example indeed.
simultaneously with the charge In
the Observer against these city Of
flcials. whose real objectionable Of
fense was their bold stand against
the saloon and all its works, a fore
man of the grand jury himself a
disappointed office-seeker Of the per-
petual kind, who was defeated in his
latest, though we fear not his last
aspirations by the present mayor Of the
city, grew extraordinarily solicitous
as to the sale to the city Of certain
commodities. There Is no allegation
that the city paid an unfair price
for these commodities. AS to the
question of law we profess ignorance.
But that nothing wrong was done we
can confidently affirm after full in
vestigation.
And the charges Of the Observer
have only succeeded In bringing out
the facts that in the last saloon admin
lstration the city had been mulcted
to the extent Of some $150,000 In a
single deal. A mayor and an alder
man put their own price on a water
works system which they sold to the
city, that is. to themselves. And the
Observer applauded.
The Observer confessed its own in
competency in handling the matter Of
the city's finances, by admitting that
II had gotten its figures from an un-
named individual who made the trif-
ling mistake Of $4,000 in one item.
In fact, the Observer Is incompetent
to do any such work. And we say 1t
again that while people are proverb-
tally patient with its infirmity. the as
saults on the character Of good and
true men must stop. In the name Of
common decency. Such men have a
ready retort that Is all that would be
needed as an explanation of the OBJ
servers erratic course. 1t Is mon
ument to their patience that they
have not come out and said why the
Observer Is no longer to be seriously
considered in regard to its statements
But the Observer must not be allow
ed to run amuck continuously. And
plain speaking may be duty. just as
silence has been a charity"
And. in the same issue Of the Pres
byterian Standard. the plaintiff. re-
ferring to the said ]. P. Caldwell, ed
itor and president Of the defendant
corporation. published the following
item. to-wit:
I'VE have only applause for the
man who tries to cut off an evil habit
by taking a trip to Keeley Institute. 1t
Is the failure Of the postgraduate
course that is distressing
And. also. in the same issue OF said
Presbyterian Standard, the plaintiT
published Of and concerning the de-
fendant and the defendants news
paper. the following:
1.-The opinion Is general that an in
stitution which serves as a prepara-