The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-09-03
no more of either.

Quit wounding each others feelings
and fighting like cats and dogs. NO
good can come of it and much harm
has already come of it, and more will
follow if we do not realize that a
'house divided against itself can not
stand" AS good men voted for Blease
as voted for Jones. They felt it to be
their right as citizens, and many OF
them religiously believed that their
liberties were in danger, for you, &c -
ernor, are reported as saying that II
Jones was elected they would never
vote again.
Jefferson said once that as between
government without newspapers and
newspapers without government he
would take the latter, for the newspa-
pers would keep the people informed
and they would nave intelligence
enough to give themse YES good gov
ernment in some way Our newspa-
pers in South Carolina have lost sight
of the necessity for fair and square
dealing with their readers, So much
so that they have not the influence
with the people that they ought 70
have. There is roorl for graa- many
reforms in this PARTICULAR and | sin
cerely hope that the editors OF t,,.e
South Carolina papers will seriously
consider how they can regain the con-
fdence of the people again. SO great
has been the dist:ust caused by the
dishonesty and partisanship that hun
dreds, nay thousands Of ms friends
could not be made ic believe that I
had written the Letter to Ferguson or
given out the stat ,mant accompany
ing it. 1 received ma ~ many teIe-
grams and letters asking whether it
was authentic. This condition of the
public mind has been brought about
by seeing that the newspapers in their
headlines and in the body of the arti-
cles themselves distort and color un-
righteously the facts When the peo-
pie are taught they can always be
trusted, but when the, people distrust
the newspapers and believe them cor
rupt and dishonest and given to all
manner of lying they lose that respect
for them that is necessary to preserve
free government.
Would Talk to Friends.
If I ever get able to speak again I
want to go to three counties in South
Carolina and talk to my old friends
face to face, Anderson, Laurens and
York. You have stolen the love and
confidence of those people, did not
lose it; you stole it. Who would ever
have believed it possible that the men
who % years ago were so frenzied in.
their Tillmanism and worship of Till
man as to unhitch the horses from
his carriage and hitch themselves in
to drag him in triumph through the
street would come to distrust, hate
and abuse him without cause.
Madame Roland before she was
guillotined exclaimed: 20 liberty,
what crimes are committed in thy
name!" Noting the progress which
has been made toward the demoraliza-
ton among the Democrats in South
Carolina one can shout, ooh, Democ-
racy, will the people never learn to
know their true friends from their
false leaders, never to distinguish be-
tween a statesman and a demagogue,
always listening to dattery and sweet
words without looking below the sur
face and the true inwardness of
things and men," To think that the
very men for whom have done most,
the poor farmers and factory people,
should turn and rend me this way! I
gave them Clemson college and Win
throp. At least, had more to do with
it than any other one man. 1 gave
them the primary, for l wrote the
Democratic State constitution with my
own hand in conjunction with my
brother, G. D. Tillman, and made the
rules governing the primary and safe
guarded in every possible way their
rights, so that now every citizen has
a voice in the government and can
protect himself if he has sense enough.
All pleasure and satisfaction in my
reelection to the senate is gone be-
cause of the desertion of these old
friends and followers of mine. 1t
makes me doubt seriously whether I