Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-07-24
Government by Newspapers.


Tillman's remarkably prolific think
box, and under existing conditions 1t Is
sufficiently striking to warrant more
than passing consideration.
That Senator Tillman's dispensary
system is in a pretty bad way nobody
knows better than the senator himself,
and il does not seem unfair to say
that nobody knows better than the
senator the source of the trouble, or
at least that source Of the trouble that
gives him most concern.
There is no question OF the fact that
there has been more or less corruption
i'm the dispensary ever since Its incep-
tion. Even Senator Tillman acknowl-
edges this but of course, he would
not undertake to say just when things
began to go to the bad. Nobody ex-
poets him to. But it is thoroughly
well understood that had it not been
for the persistent work of the newspa-
pers, with very few exceptions. infor-
nation as to the nature and extent, Of
tnat Nouiu oliii oS
to the grafters and their friends
1t is only within the past year that
Senator Tillman has been willing to
admit that the dispensary Is corrupt.
Nobody has ever yet called the sena-
tor q fool, and we doubt II there Is a
man in the state with sufficient intel
ligence to read a newspaper who does
not understand that Senator Tillman
has all along understood the situation
as well as any newspaper Since
therefore the senator did not speak
until the newspapers made the situa-
ton q matter Of common knowledge,
il Is reasonable to assume that il left
to himself he never would have taken
the people into his confidence suffi-
ciently to tell them what is what.
Along the same line of reasoning as
the above, we are led to the conclusion
that the senator's quarrel against the
newspapers is because they tell the peo-
ple what he does not wish them TO
know. And this, we confess, is very
inconvenient, especially to people who
occupy Senator Tillman's attitude In
such matters.
At the meeting of the press asso-
citation the other day, Mr.. j. c. Hem
phill, editor of the News and Courier,
and as broad, able and patriotic man
as there is in the state, made the as
sertion that in his opinion, government
by newspapers is the best government
on the face of the earth. and with
this statement We agree most heartily;
bat for fear of misconstruction or our
meaning We desire to say that as we
see il there is a vast diiference
between the viewpoints of Messrs.
Tillman and Hemphill, because in
his opposition Mr.. Tillman would
have his hearers give the propo-
sition one significance and Mr.. Hemp
hills premises contemplate situation
that does not even look to the same
end.
From Mr. Hemphilrs viewpoint the
newspaper does not want to govern
anybody. It's aim and purpose is only
to shed light and leave the indiVidual
to govern himself with the help of the
light furnished. Government by the
newspapers according to Mr.. Hemphilfs
Interpretation is the highest develop
ment of government by the people,
The record of years shows that Sena-
tor Tillman has never objected to any
newspapers except such as have seen
proper to differ from and criticise him.
All newspapers that stand for him, no
matter how disreputable they might be
otherwise, are all right and he ap-
proves their government. All of which
seems to lead to the conclusion that
Senator Tillman's opposition to gov
ernment by newspapers" has no great
er significance than his own impatience
of people who are unwilling to concede
his right TO work his own sweet arbi-
trary will.
Yes, we agree with Mr.. Hemphill.
| Government by NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Carolina newspapers-is the best gov
ernment on earth.
= -