Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-08-02


in the first primary. But the State was
on hand to claim all the credit. 1t was
dead sure that except for its little ar
row, Cock Robin would never have
been killed. However, it did not yet tell
what its tremendous secret was. This
was not disclosed until later on, Ellerbe
failed to recommend a local option
law to the legislature, and the State
claimed that q written agreement that
he would do so had been the price of
its support-the reason why it had
struck down Featherstone and saved
the abominable dispensary.
Passing over a whole lot that might
be said in between, there came the
fight of two years ago. Mr.. Feather
stone had previously made possible
the election Of Ansel by getting out Of
the way for him and submitting to To-
cal option as a less evil than the state
dispensary. BY all that was just and
fair, the Prohibitionist party was en-
titled to the right Of way with the full
assistance and support Of the Ansel
party, to the leadership Of which for
mer dispensaryite Mcleod fell heir.
But did Featherstone get that support
Not much. The News and Courier
openly and the State snippingly sup
ported Mcleod, both using their ut
most efforts to get him in the second
race with Blease. They failed. The
second race was between Blease and
Featherstone, and here was another
test. Both the News and Courier and
the State had done Featherstone all the
harm they could in the first primary.
They made a bluff of supporting him
in the second; but that was all. There
was a great hullabaloo about the dan
ger of Blease and Bleaseism. the buz-
zard cartoon and all that; but the
event showed that If the Mcleod party
hated Blease more, they certainly low
ed the Prohibition party less, because
they gave the majority Of their votes
to Blease.
Analysing the situation as best we
could after 1t was all over. we came to
the conclusion that If the second race
had been between Blease and Mcleod.
the Prohibition party would have voted
for Mcleod and would have elected
him. But as we thought more Of it
this was not a pleasant 'might-have-
been" We concluded that the Mcleod
politicians had evidently sized up the
Prohibitionists in the same light, and
had come to the conclusion that in or
der to get themselves back into power
the sooner, 1t would be best to down
Featherstone. They saw that If the
Prohibition party should get control Of
the government, they would make
things so clean and pure and enforce
the laws so we'll that 1t would take
years to get them out. On the other hand
they believed they could easily make
a complete failure Of the Blease ad-
ministration, and that two years later
the Prohibitionists would be desperate
enough to accept Mcleod or any sue
cessor Of Mcleod as a grateful sub
stitute for Blease.
There was satisfactory confirmation
of the theory outlined last summer
when the News and Courier fired Off
it's editorial, Wanted, a Leader"
This editorial was in the nature Of an
overture to the Yorkville Enquirer, the
Greenwood Journal and other Prohibi-
ton papers to join a coalition for good
government" 1t will be remembered
that the article set forth as how surely
there was in the state some man who
was big enough and broad enough to
lead the people out Of the woods" and
behind whom all who "loved the state"
might rally. We offered to meet them
half way, and suggested that II they
would get behind c. C. Featherstone or
Chas. A. Smith, the trick would be nice
ly turned. But 1t soon developed that
that was not what they wanted. They
wanted a leader; but 1t must be their
leader" and later they brought out as
the successor of Mr.. Mcleod, Judge
Ira B. Jones, a very nice, able man, but
In no more sympathy with the Feath-
erstone party than was Mr.. Mcleod.
And now since some of the Feather
stone people have been too stubborn or
too consistent to bite at the McLeodite
bait thrown out as described above. we
note efforts at coercion. The State
and News and Courier would under
take to whip US into line by trying to
hold out that We are neglecting all that
is clean, noble and right, and stand
ing for all that Is mean, low and dam
gerous, including anarchy. There are
those who have yielded and there are
others who will yield, but The York.
vile Enquirer does not propose to
lower it's flag to any such tactics.
We have not upheld Mr.. Blease fur
ther than to try to treat him as fairly
as we could, and we have done this as
much in justice to ourselves as in JUS
tice to him. We do not approve all
that he does or says by any means,
nor do we approve all that Is said or
done against him. Some of the things
that have been said and done against
him are as discreditable as any of the
discreditable things he is alleged to
have done, and our sense of fairness
will not permit us to stand for them
not even with politics as an excuse.
According to our lights, we have kept
the faith and we are going to continue
to keep it. We have not aligned our
selves with either Blease or Jones, and
we are not going to, no matter where
anybody tries to place US. We are try
ing to give the facts Of the situation as
fully and as correctly as we can, and
we propose to leave 1t to every voter to
cast his ballot as his conscience and
his judgment dictates. If mayhap
majority of the Prohibition element
votes for Judge Jones. we'll and good.
Our friends, the State and News and
Courier will have won their fight,
the liquor policy Of South Carolina will
be settled to suit their notion for some
years to come, and they can have things
pretty much their own way generally.