The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1912-08-16
THE NEWSPAPERS
ARE TO BLAME.
To the Editor of The Union Times:

appearing in the newspapers AS you
know I am not one to make myself
conspicuous in public print, but some
say otherwise, and being South
Carolinian, and especially a product
of the soil of Union county, l deem
it proper at this time, that some one,
even one so lowly as l, should come
to the defense of the honor and fair
name of our proud old county.
This county has been heralded to
the world, especially this year, as one
whose citizenship is made up of a lot
of cutthroats, gamblers, incendiaries,
murderers, and lawless characters of
various degrees, and the intimation
has been, that the authorities are no
better. That the law was trampled on
with impunity, and it was not safe
even for our wives and children to
walk the streets.
In a recent issue of the Union
Times of date August the 9th, I no.
tice an article from one w. D. Law
son headed "Politics and Whiskey,"
in which he states that "The first fact
to which l ask your attention, is that
crime is rapidly on the increase in
this county; but few persons would
be disposed to question this state
ment, even in the absence of actual
figures to prove it." Now Mr.. Editor,
l do not even know the Mr. Lawson,
but l hope that he is not the one of
Chicken Farm" fame, although this
one halls from the same place, and
has the same name.
l certainly challenge his statement,
and not like him, have the figures to
prove it. If the gentleman had been
a good Union County man, think be-
fore slandering the people of this
county, he would have made inquiry
of the proper authorities, and sought
the records before going eff like he
did. These are the facts, that Union
county has been free from crime this
year, than for many previous years.
There are less cases for trial at this
term of court than any other for
long period, and at this writing the
Jail doors are standing wide open, and
have been so for three weeks or more.
something that has not happened for
more than eighteen years. Since the
May term of court, the Jail has not
had more than three prisoners at any
one time, and they were for minor of
fenses. If the gentleman or any one
else questions these statements they
can verify them by examining the
records.
| think that the magistrates of this
county will say, that they have is
sued less warrants this year than for
any year in a long time, and also,
that the ones they have issued were
for less offenses than ever before.
l specially dislike to take to task
the newspapers of our county, >and
this State, for the reason that / can
not cope with them in writing, but
am frank to say, that if the editors
had have been the fathers of girls and
boys of tender age, they would have
not allowed such stuff as has gone
through their columns to have been
sent into the homes of those who had
sweet tender girls to protect.
To my view of thinking, l am sat
asfed that our newspapers have done
more to hurt business, and to keep
people from coming to our city, by
printing the, articles they have car
RED for the last year than anything
else, and instead of boosting Union,
they have been knocking by calling
the attention of the whole world to
our little faults that all cities have,
and always will have. To prove this,
let me call your attention to the fact
that having been heraded to the world
for so long as lawless community,
when the reporters of foreign sheets
came here State campaign day, al
though we had the best order to be
had in the state, they hated to DENY
our county the reputation given to it
by our papers, and said that Union
county lived up to its standard and
had the most disgraceful meeting so
far held in the state
Now, Mr.. Editor, if | have made
any statements that are not true in
the main, am honest enough to admit
them at the proper time, and if you
see fit to answer please confine every
statement you make to the subject
matter, and not try to inject into this
matter stuff to cloudy the water and
call the attention of the people from
the fact, that the papers are to be
blamed more than any one else for a
bad reputation away from home.
think that the greater number of
our citizens will agree that all the
reputation for laWlesSness and thinus