Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-06-21
1.-THE PRESS OF south CAROLINA
In The REVOLUTION OF 1876"
Address of Editor A. B. williams, Of the Richmond News
Leader, Before State Press Association.
News and Courier.

| The following address was made by
Mr.. A. B. Williams, editor Of the Rich
mond News-Leader, before the South
Carolina Press association, in annual
meeting assembled on the Isle OF
Palms, June Is, 1907:
Gentlemen Of the South Carolina
Press Association, Ladies' and Mr.
President: At the beginning let me
express to the committee Of your asso-
citation my sincere thanks for the hon
or done me by inviting me here. BY
rights I ought to be in Richmond
where the National Editorial associa-
ton will be entertained tomorrow. but
after ably assisting as a member OF
the convention committee Of the Rich
mond Chamber Of Commerce, to lay
out a great quantity and variety OF
work for my associates, I have come
to enjoy the balmy atmosphere OF
home and bathe my heart in the pleas
ant warmth of old memories. The fact
that have been asked here to talk to
you Is as astonishing to me as 1t is
gratifying. The invitation, as I take
it, is a supreme evidence Of the good
will and generosity Of my former fell
low members. Fortunately for me
opinions as to my ability as a news
paper writer and manager differed
widely, for while some saw no merit
in anything / wrote or did-and pri-
vately I don't blame them a bit be-
cause my inclination is to agree with
them-others were more merciful and
while less truthful, perhaps more en-
couraging. AS to my capacity as an
orator. however. 1 have known but
one opinion. So far as l am Informed
1t was the unanimous verdict OF the
South Carolina Press association, con-
frmed by such portions Of the popu-
lace as had the misfortune to come
within the range Of my oratorical ef-
forts, that as a speaker in this state OIL
many varieties Of speakers I was about
the worst ever imposed upon a suffer-
ing audience. This unhappy fact was
bxought to my attention and impress
ed strongly upon my mind by the art
less but obviously sincere comments OF
the voters when I took the stump
against. Senator Tillman in the year
1892 Wherefore I assume that you
who are supposed never to forget any
thing IN the nine years Of my absence
have mercifully forgotten my reputa-
ton. or in the abundance Of your
charity and the wonderful kindliness
q lang .syne friendship have consent
ed TO endure for the sake OF doing me
good turn and offering me another
opportunity.
It is natural on my return to South
Carolina that my mind goes back to
my first arrival here. I intend to talk
to you of my recollections- Of 1.-The
Press of South Carolina in the Revo-
luton Of 1876" I shall present Incl
dent instead of rhetoric, recollection
rather than suggestion. The one ad-
vantage Of advancing age Is that Its
victim can recall and tell what has
been and has happened. Any boy just
from school can tell you in resoundine
sentences and ringing words what you
ought to do and what will be in the
| future and the hereafter. It Is the
privilege of us older fellows to tell
from personal observation and knowl-
edge, of the past. I am emboldeneo
to my theme by the thought that q
considerable proportion Of your mem
bers were not born or were children
| in arms at a time the events and hap
| penings of which to me are but as
Yesterday. It is hard to realize thai
women and men Of today, mothers
and fathers Of families and editors OF
newspapers and members Of the leg
islature, were not born when l frs
came to South Carolina. But 1t wa:
thirty-one years ago; and some ol
these newcomers may be interested ir
those times so recent and fresh to me
The Journal of Commerce.
| I came here to Charleston, May l
1876, in response to a telegram offer
ing me a place on the Journal of Com
merce at SIS a week. Who remem
bers the Journal of Commerce?
wonder II any files of it exist. 1t wa:
one Of the most remarkable newspa
pers ever published because 1t was op
Grated by a board Of directors, com
posed of business and professional
men, as innocent Of knowledge of the
newspaper business as I was myself
and that Is the superlative degree o.
| innocence and ignorance. l never
have quite understood whether the
| Journal of Commerce was organized
to break down the News and Courier
or to promote the cause Of straight
out Democratic nominations and white
supremacy.
OF all the many years of South Car
olina's shining and long history-lont
as we consider in this country compar'
atiyely new-that year was the mos
vital and critical. You of the younger
generation, even you older ones who
lived in the up-country, cannot realize
the situation as it was here then. Oj
the state government, the lieutenan
governor, comptroller general, secre
tary of state, attorney general, treas
urer and adjutant and inspector gen
eral and one of the justices OF the su
preme court were negroes, varying II
hue from ripe pumpkin to tar, most O
them imported. Here in Charleston
the police were negroes, or scalawat
Irishmen, with not more than half or
dozen good men Of both colors.
In these conditions the Journal o
Commerce began to work. 1t was
mixed up kind of an institution. M!
friend, G.. Herbert Sass, used TO WRIT
prose poems for it's editorial columns
1t seemed to be intended for the Dusl
ness end cultured classes, and yet IL
principles were those Of the masse
and the uptown wards. Its first edi
tor was James R. Truehart, who cam
from New York via Richmond ah'
who gave me my job. He was a bril-
liant writer, but South Carolina wa
| N, him Tim buctOO nov