The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-04-12
Jew, Jews AND COURIER CRITICISED
Taken 10 Task for Editorial On Nc
Laurip's Sumter Speech.
1DvE 8rIs1EBEf:
Sditor News aud Courier:

syou facetious and fippant editorial
of Industrial conditions and that your
did speech OF senator McLaurin made;
SIN Sumter last MONDAY.
It seems to me that Charleston has
suffered enough at the hands OF the.
News and Courier, which has always
antagonked the masses in every effort
Ito better their condition; you op-
posed us in 1890 by criticising and:
abusing every man that the farmers
put to the front, with the result that
Charleston and the balance Of the
state was put further and further out
of touch, and you might as well un--,
derstand right now that this a great
broad movement for the betterment
OF Industrial conditions and that your
petty hings and cheap wit will be
as little appreciated as it was in 1890.
Charleston is the seaport city OF
the State, but the cotton made in
South Carolina is going to Savannah,
W1lrnington and Norfolk; they are
being built up and developed at the
expense Of Charleston and YOU are
sngssy responsible for this condition.
When the Cotton Convention met In,
New Orleans the newspapers IN that
city took it ap and doomed it in ey-2s
cry way they could. They are backing
up The leaders and lending the farm:
Sers every aid they can. You are doing
exactly the opposite, to the injury of
the State and the city OF Charleston.
So far as / am concerned, I wish
that every cotton planter would read
McLaurin's Sumter speech, which you
treat so light1y-in fact inconsistently,
ebecause you admit his speech is pack
ed with truths, ard then forget your.
self and say, ..its inferences fell Of
their own weight, somewhat para
doxical Z should think How different
your editorial from McLaurin's speech
so fuH of good humor, common sense,
and through it all breathing much an
exalted spirit Of patriotism. Contrast
tie utterance of this statesman with
yonr little cheap, hirnsy and appar-
emily malicious editorial.
noticed in your paper a few days
ago the quarterly statement from six
esof the thirteen banks in Charleston.
The figures are rot by me now. but
my recollection is that less than half
of the banks in the city showed q de-.
posit Of something like sS,000,000.,
This Is an unhealthy sign for your
city. It shows a lack of business en-
terprise that should employ this
money in developing the country. It
shows that from the accumula tons of
: pasf years when farmers did ship their
6 cotton to Charleston that there still
s remains enough under wise efforts. to
make Charleston the business and
banking centre Of the State.
Why doesn't the News and Courier
adopt the broad, catholic spirit of the
New Orleans Times-Democrat and
Daily States? Why do not your bank
ers come to the front and utilize all
this idle money in assisting the farm
ers In financing this great movement?
It is going to be done, and it will not
help You TO "gnaw aSfle." Instead Of
being little, why can't you for once
I be big?
why not take advantage Of this sit
uation to put Charleston in closer
/ touch with the rest Of the State?
Chronic indigestion will wear out
the best constitution after a while, and
did hope that yours was cured, and
that In these latter days had come
clearer vision and a saner mind that
S would raise you above petty personal
4 tiles badly directed and feebly exc
cuted
E. D. HODGE,
President Cotton Growers Association,
Clarendon County.
AIcsau April s. 1895.
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