The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1912-03-29
FROM THE BROTHERHOOD.
The Work Of An Incendiary.

Last week we referred to the de-
strucdon OF the building OF The Union
Times by fire. 1t is now thought that
the flre was the work OF an incen-
diary. Editor Rice has waged q war
for righteousness and this 10 the an
swer which Is made. The Yorkville
Enquirer says: There is reason to
believe that the fire which DESTROYED
the handsome new home Of the Union
Times the other day was incendiary.
That is the talk In Union, and the
proprietor Of the Times. as we'll a.
the people Of the town generally, are
morally certain as to the identity of
the guilty parties. They think the
crime was committed by Illicit LIQUOR
dealers that the Times has been fight
ing. There Is no proof, no legal
proof, and there will probably be
none. Incendiaries don't generally
leave trail that can be followed by
law, but the fact remains, that a hor-
rible crime has been committed, and
such stigma as there is rests not
upon the Times so much as upon the
city Of Union"
People do not realize what Is meant
but such a fire as that which de-
stroyed The Times building. The
public has suffered more in it than in
an ordinary incendiary act. The man
who burns the house of another US
ually does it in revenge for some fan
cied or real personal injury; and
there was doubtless revenge in this
instance, but it was revenge because.
Mr.. Rice had been standing between
the lawless and the welfare of his
community. Had he been silent and
allowed those evil men unmolested to
prey upon his people he himself would
not have incurred their malice. Such
men also have design as we'll as re-
venge In their acts. They propose
to make it dangerous to any man who
would lift his voice to prevent them
from despoiling the sons OF the city
OF Union. They shoot the picket sim
ply to get at the sleeping army. They
XIII the watch dog that they might at
tack the flock. That torch which
burned The Times building was real
ly set to every house and home in
Union.
A fire like this comes because off,
cials have been lax in the DISCHARGE
Of their duty. We do not have first
hand information as to the state of
law enforcement in Union. But evil
IDENTIFY vice has become profitable
there. We urge this because it is only
profitable VICE that seeks to intimi-
date communities. And vice could
not possibly have become profitable
In Union except by the virtual con-
sent and connivance Of law officers.
Had those officers done their duty
against blind tigers" and such like,
there would have been no occasion for
this fire. Every policeman and off,
Ger In Union who have winked at
crime helped to light the torch which
destroyed The Times building.
Almost every one condemns the act
OF such an incendiary; but what ia
needed Is condemnation of those
acts Of la.wlessness which are the real
causes OF such fine. A citizen is
very inconsistent who Is now out
ragged by this crime, but who has
done nothing heretofore to put him
SELF, heart and soul, against the law
less elements fhis city. BY his fear
or evil men or by his Indifference to
the conditions of his town. he has
contributed powerfully to the bold
ness of this revenge. Many a man is
Mortified at what he himself has
helped to make possible. II such a
firs as this would produce repentance
for indifference to civic righteousness
1t would do world Of good. But II
We allow lawlessness to fatten under
our very eyes we need not be over
much surprised at the fruits of our
own criminal tolerance
Union is not worse than other South
Carolina towns. It has as good people
as you can find in the state. This
fire Is perhaps not due so much to
the presence in Union Of worse ele-
ment than can be found in her sister
cities as to the fact that Union has a
man who has spoken with unfiinch-
ing faithfulness. Evil here fared into
crime because 1t was hit and hit hard.
In many other of our cities 1t Is not
heard from solely because 1t is un-
molested-Baptist Courier.