Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-06-30
Fielder and Blease.


the charges each has preferred agains
the other, with the subsistence Of the
noise occasioned by the first exciting
discharges in the battle, we are reach.
ing a conviction that the only safe way
for the people Of South Carolina tc
consider the matter Is calmly and ju.
diciously.
Both Col. Fielder and Governor Bleast
have their partisans, and the parti'
sanship of many of the retainers o1
either side goes to the extent that they
would have their man come out on tor
regardless of whether he Is right ol
wrong, and others seem to entertain sc
much doubt as to the exact probity OF
either Of the parties to the controver.
sy that they figure on general princi-
pies that neither will suffer undeserve6
consequences no matter what happens
There has been a vast amount OF
talk and writing about the matters
leading up to the issuance Of a warrant
for Fielder and the requisition proceed
ings, and there is much difference OF
opinion as to how much Of the COVER
nor's action is in the line of con-
scientious discharge Of duty and how
much of it is buncombe and clap trap
and these questions we cannot answer
except as a matter Of personal opin-
ion, which would be Of little practical
| value.
But there are some things connected
with the matter that we do not like
and which we do not consider at all
creditable to Mr.. Fielder, and one OF
those is his unwillingness to come to
South Carolina, as required by the
warrant issued by the duly constituted
authorities.
The charge against Mr.. Fielder is
that several years ago he sought to
bribe state official and that he is
fraud the state Of South Carolina. II
is true that with many people, the
| source of the charges and the cir
cumstances under which they have
originated are sufficient to cast very
considerable doubt on their merit, and
this doubt we confess is we'll founded
| but still in view of the regularity OF
the papers and the nature Of the pro-
ceedings generally, there is little ex-
cuse for equivocation, evasion or sub
terfuge.
In the first place it Is we'll worth
while to note that when the papers
were served, Mr.. Fielder, who is a law
yer, instead Of meeting the issue
through the ordinary legal processes
that he would have used had he been
representing some other defendant on
the same charges, went at once to the
public through the press with a lot OF
| buncombe which in the case Of any
| body else, he himself would have said
was entirely irrelevant to the issue.
For instance, in effect, he says:
Here, all this thing is because OF
things l have said duplicating Gov
ernor Blease in this stealing. He has
trumped up those lying charges In
order to get even. That is low down
and contemplate. If he wants satis-
faction out of me, I'll agree to meet
him man to man at any point outside
of his state that he chooses to name
or let him sue me for damages for
defamation of character in the United
States court"
All that sounds fair and brave to the
thoughtless; but it will not stand q
very close examination.
If this really be a personal quarrel
between Governor Blease and Mr. Eel
| der, we would not say that the best
way to settle it is by personal combat;
curious interest the public might
manifest it is none of the publics
business. With the suggestion of the
suit in the United States court there is
| nothing wrong, except that If Gov
ernor Blease should resort to such q
| proceeding he would by so doing ad-
nit that the whole matter is personal
as Mr.. Fielder desires to make it ap-
| pear.
But let US take a look at this fight
business from another standpoint:
Suppose an officer of the law should
surprise burglar i'm the act Of break
ing into a dwelling. and that burglar
should challenge the officer to a set
tlement of the matter by mortal COM
bat. what then? Or even suppose II
was a private citizen who should have
surprised the burglar.
AS we see it there is nothing brave
or honorable in Feder's challenge to
| mortal combat, and there is nothing
especially smart in the suggestion OF
a suit for damages. OF course there
is nothing wrong about the damage
suit proposition; but as coming from
Nr. Fielder the suggestion is gratui-
tous
| There are those who say that they
do not blame Mr. Fielder for not be-
ing willing to submit himself to the
power of Governor Blease, and that
looks more or less reasonable on its
|
would he be in the power of Govern
or Blease?
The constitution guarantees the
right to bail in reasonable amount
and Mr.. Fielder has means sufficient
to enable him to give bond in such
amount as might be fixed.
| While there are many jurors in
Newberry who would endeavOr to up
! hold Governor Blease regardless of
the law or the evidence. il must be
remembered that a jury verdict means
| the unanimous agreement of twelve
men, and there will be no unanimous
agreement of twelve citizens of New
berry on an unjust verdict
We don't think this controversy
between Governor Rlease and Mr.. Eel
| der. or rather between Governor
Blease and the law or between Mr..
Fielder and the law is altogether one
sided. but we do think that at this