Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-09-17
Don't Underase Your Opponent.

In a speech In New York on Mon
day night Of last week, Governor Will
son said:
"I have come here tonight for the
purpose of discussing just as candtdly
as possible the political situation; and
I hope that in doing so I shall do IN.
Justice to no one. I am not one OF
those who believe that the right tao
tics in politics Is to depreciate the men
YOU are opposed to and to belittle and
misrepresent the forces with which
YOU have to contend. 1t ought to be
frank, straightforward, and fair deter
mination Of what Is Is we are to agree
upon and do, and how we are to do II
in the great field Of our common ac-
tion."
Though to do so will give us the ap-
pearance of assuming wisdom far be-
yond that Of the wisest Of our contem-
poraries, we want to make few
comments, with the foregoing as a
text.
AS to whether Woodrow Wilson Is
going to be the next president Of the
United States we do not know; but II
he Is not it will be through no mistake
he has made up to the present time,
and most certainly through no inher-
ent fault in the doctrine laid down
above. That doctrine is absolutely
sound, and every suggestion in 1t bears
evidence of having come from the
mind Of a man who is truly great.
1t would indeed be a blessed thing
for South Carolina II her politics could
only be pitched along the lines indica-
ted. 1t would remove all the suspi-
cion, hatred and animosity which
characterizes the present factionalism
and lift the whole people up to a plane
Of honest endeavor that could but
make for the highest welfare Of all.
To be perfectly frank there Is too
much demagogy in our South Caro-
lima politics. 1t seems to be a recog-
nized part of the game. Both guber-
material candidates played all the dem
agogy they knew during the recent
campaign, and If one played more sue
the reproach Of the other.
There are those who blame Cover
nor Blease for setting the pace and
who claim that II the campaign had
been placed on a higher plane Judge
Jones would have been the winner.
There are others who hold that Cover
nor Blease left Judge Jones to set the
pace and went after the judge on the
ground that the judge himself had
chosen.
We have thought that II Judge
Jones had pursued a different policy
he might have defeated Governor
Blease. We reasoned that as the re-
suit of eighteen months Of constant
hammering. the newspapers had built
up a sentiment against Governor
Blease that could hardly be cut with
cold chisel, and that Governor Blease
was defeated already. 1t seemed that
If Judge Jones had blocked out and
followed policy that would have dis
couraged personalities Of every ma
ture, there would have been nothing
to cause excitement, and Governor
Blease would have fallen by reason of
the apathy of his supporters. But that
is only one view. Though he may ex-
Gel in demagogy, Governor Blease has
amply proved that demagogy Is not his
only resource. That he Is as strong
in clear. convincing reasoning as in
small politics, has been established.
and the probability Is. that he would
have held his own OIL that ground as
well as on the ground that was occu-
pied by the actual fighting.
The whole thing resolves itself back
to the doctrine laid down by Governor
Wilson. You must not depreciate the
men you are opposed to and you must
not belittle your opponent. OF course
each candidate deprecated and belit-
tied the other; but Governor Blease
did not make the mistake of underes-
timating the strength of his opponent.
Judge Jones did make that mistake
he and his friends.