The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-03-08

IN order tnat mlSnL De dDle 10 Say dL
least something that would interest
the reading public. 1t might be we'll
here to SAY that it has never been my
intention from the beginning Of my
newspaper correspondence ever to
seek notoriety, public honor or to be
called smart; but it has been quite
encouraging to me to have some OF
the most intelligent men and women
of our county to compliment my arti-
cles. I have suffered criticism upon
criticism. But it is only the man who
takes a stand against sin who creates
a public sentiment, and for this reason
I have from time to time, in discussing
public issues, met with opposition.
Controversy after controversy / have
had to contend with. While [ never
sought a controversy, yet never dodg-
ed an issue, and 1 made it a rule to
hew to the line and "let the chips fall
where they may" I have had different
ones to say to me, "How can you find
so much to write about?" I asked a
minister of the Gospel once how he
managed to preach when called upon
at an unexpected time, when he was
possibly unprepared He replied, 81
! lust Jump on the drunkard and ride
him out" So always when I would
sit down to write and find myself "out
of soap,' as the saying goes, would
/ just jump on my old friend ''Kay," OF
Prosperity, and ride him out. But let
me tell you one thing, Kay was just
as good a rider as I was, and he never
did find out how much trouble he gave
me at times. I remember once when l
spoke of the seven wonders of the
world and called it seven wonders of
the Bible, Kay. took me up and asked
me to please show where the seven
wonders could be found in the Bible.
saw directly where I had said ''crow,"
and my only chance of getting out was
10 stick to the word Grow" If you
ever saw a man whip the devil around
the stump for while it was "Chips,"
as I was then writing under the nom
de plume of Chips" and there isn't
any doubt that numbers of people nev-
er did find out who was right after we
finished the discussion. But to let the
public better understnd, our controVer-
sizes were always of a friendly nature,
and We never did disagree upon any
questions of vital interest to the pub
lie.
Aftet the discontinuance of my con-
nection as correspondent with the
Prosperity Press and Reporter, 1 be-
came correspondent for The Herald
and News, and also for the Newberry
Observer, but I was with The Herald
and News about fifteen years of the
twenty-six in mention
At the beginning Of my feeble efforts
as a newspaper correspondent, made
it a rule to report such things as
knew to be facts, and when found
anything was just not as I had repre-
sented it to be I was always ready to
make the necessary corrections-al-
though my articles were always open
to honest criticism. A good many of
the readers of today can call to men,
ory the. year 1888, when Ben Tillman
began his political career. And for
the next twelve or fifteen years there
were "hot times in the old town." and
don't you forget it. The newspaper
never went begging for news. I think
that it was during this time that Edi-
tor Aull got so full of news that he
had to change from a weekly to a
semi-weekly. But I don't want to think
of those bitter days, when the whole
State was in perfect turmoil of an
Ger. In those days hell hadn't only
"broke loose in Georgia" but it was
going like roaring lion throughout
South Carolina, seeking whom it might
devour. 1t is a blessing that the Lord
didn't call upon more Of US then than
he did to give an account Of our stew
ardship on earth. I remember some
writer about the midst of this political /,
heat sprang the question: "Can a poll
tician be a Christian?" I answered in
the affirmative, yes. But if it had
been changed so as to have read: Can
a successful politician be Christian"