The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1910-10-26

After that my father, Col. IL. w. Ball,
| and Miss Sara Ball now Mrs. Cope
lanO edited and managed the paper
until January, 1899, when for 81
months / again managed the business.
Col. Ball continued to do the writing
until his death in March, 1902. Re-
turning to Laurens from Florida in
March 1902 / conducted the paper un-
til March, 1904, though l was absent
from Laurens much OF the time.
From March 1904 to April, 1908, to
April. 1910, Mr. 8. K. Boney, now of
the Charleston News ana Courier was
the editor, at a salary. Since L left
the paper in 1904 it has been greatly
enlarged and new mechanical out
fit has been installed. 1t includes 4
Mergenthaler linotype machine and
a new press. The Advertiser of the
last five years is a much bigger con-
Germ, incomparably bigger, than it was
In the nineties or during my active
connection with it and this expansion
is due to the sagacious and attentive
management OF MIR. NJ. l.. Copeland.
or course he had the valuable assist
ance of Mr.. Blackwell and also of Mr..
w. l.. Taylor and Mr.. Boney but the
firm business direction and good credit
of Mr.. Copeland have been the prin-
cipal factors in the prosperity of the
concern.
The Advertiser has never had ma
jority of the people, in political
sense, in sympathy with 1t in Laurens
county. 1t always opposed Tillman
and Tillmanism. In 1892 or 1898, at
the beginning of the free silver agita-
tion, 1t declared itself in favor of the
single gold standard-and it has lived
to see the free silver agitation aband-
oned by Mr.. Bryan and the Democratic
party. With one exception / do not
think that 1t has supported a success
full candidate for governor, who had
opposition, i'm its whole history. There
never was a time probably when one
of its editors could have obtained
political preferment In Laurens Coun-
ty. Nevertheless, always ii had the
strong backing of farmers and mer-
chants. whether they agreed with it's
utterances or not. and there has never
in the bank. In short, 1t has succeed
ed because it's views have commanded
the respect II not the sympathy OF
men whose support was most worth
having. While 1 gratefully remember
the support which the people of Lau-
rens gave the newspaper, 1t is only
fair to say that The Advertiser as
newspaper has consistently given
more than a dollars value for a dol
lar always-at least, | think so and
think that it will do so under its
new management, too.
The first important undertaking for
the city Of Laurens that The Adver-
tiser engaged in under my Management
school system. Frank Evans, now Of
Spartanburg, was the founder OF the
system In 1890 and The Advertiser
carried on the campaign for it at his
suggestion and with his advice and
aid. There was considerable opposi-
tion to its establishment.
The Advertiser was active in the
work of arousing interest I'm cotton
mill building in Laurens and it's edi-
tors and owners have been original
subscribers to the stock of both mills
In 1891 or 1892 The Advertiser ad-
vocated the "Torrens system" OF land
tenures. Unless am much mistak-
en-, it was 10 years or more ahead of
any other South Carolina newspaper
in favoring this reform.
Except during Mr.. Boney's editor
ship. The Advertiser has always ad-
vocated local option and usually has
supported prohibition for Laurens
From the beginning it opposed the
State dispensary. Mr.. Boney as editor
advocated state prohibition.
One political movement In which
The Advertiser agreed with Senator
Tplman, in opposition to most OF the
Anti-Tillman newspapers, was the
calling Of the constitution convention
OF 1895.
could mention other movements
In which The Advertiser has taken
a leading part but what 1 would most
emphasize is that politically 1t has
usually been In the minority and has
prospercd in spite of 1t. 1t could afford
to be In the minority because it had
no favors to ask. It's editors gave
their attention to the business of pro