Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-09-03
Newspaper Competition.

Because Of the recent suspension OF
the New Era, various contemporaries
have seen proper to comment on the
newspaper situation "in Yorkville," as
they see it, and although all Of these
comments have been noted with more
or less interest, we do not see proper
to analyze any Of them, except In
general way, because to do so would
only be to invite profitless controversy.
AS is pretty well understood, The
Enquirer is not much given to contro-
versy, especially as to matters which
might seem to concern it's particular
private interests. There are people
who have wondered from time to time
how we have been willing to let GER
tain obviously untrue statements go
unchallenged, and how we could con-
tinue to pursue the even tenor OF our
way in the face of manifest attempts
at injustice.
To try to claim that our silence with
reference to the situations referred to
Is to be construed as evidence Of indif-
ference, would be taken as confession
of an utter lack of human instincts,
and the makers of The Enquirer would
not like to be considered as having
made such a confession, because that
would put them in a very false posi-
| ton.
The late l.. NJ. Grist, who presided
for so long over the destinies Of The
Enquirer in times of storm and peace
and throughout good report and evil
report. used to teach those who were
to come after him. that their sole duty
was to the public. You are" he said,
individuals in the service of the pub
lie. AS individuals the public cares no
more about you than it does about any
other individuals. 1t has no concern
with your private grievances, If you
have any. and 1t does not care to both
er with them. All 1t asks Of you Is
honest, faithful, intelligent service,
and so long as you give it this kind of
service it will support you. If indi-
viduals or other newspapers say un-
true things of you, the public will be-
lieve these things only in so far as
they may be borne out by your con-
duct. and that is about all you can ex-
pect."
Along the same line this unusually
level headed old gentleman also used
to say:
THE secret of the successful publi-
cation Of a county newspaper involves
the same principles that compel per-
manent success in any other vocation.
You cannot rely upon personal friend
ship or personal admiration, and much
less upon the favor Of politicians.
There is such a thing as friendship;
but very few men ever have any con-
siderable number Of real friends
friends who will continue constant
| through adversely as we'll as prosper
| ity, and the politician needs you only
50 long as you are able and willing to
serve his varying interests. There
fore your one reliance is on the whole
people. There are all kinds of people,
of course, and their sentiments and al
Ilegiances are constantly changing, ris-
| ing and falling like the waves of the
sea: but in this country the majority
is constantly striving toward that
which is highest and best, and so long
as you stand for that which is fair
just and upright, you will find yourself
surrounded by invincible support
AS to why the different newspaper
ventures that have been attempted in
Yorkville have failed. we do not care
to discuss further than to say that they
lwere unable To secure the support OF
a sufficient number of the right kind
of people. All of them could have been
kept going had those who believed in
their necessity been willing to furnish
the absolutely essential financial as
sistance; but no one of them could
have ever realized the expectations of
their sponsors until they reached po-
sition where they could honestly claim
that their living was coming from in
front rather than from behind-that is
until they were able to exist in COM
fort on their legitimate earnings. And