Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-06-14


nual address. Being presented by
President Watson in a happy speech
Mr. Grasty said:
Two things 1 want to lay stress or
in my talk tonight. The first is that
the American people are assuredly
capable of -government> From
1776 to today they have proved them
selves capable, developing with every
increase of power granted them. There
have been defects in the system which
have prevented perfect results In all
cases, but there are no vital defects In
the people.
And my second point is that the
newspaper is the agency through
which the people will work out their
destiny.
We have a clumsy system Of de-
veloping and registering the will OF
the people. BY reason Of the great
amount Of main strength and awk-
wardness required the people have
not yet taken upon themselves in any
ment. Perhaps this is the neglect OF
youth-,perhaps the confidence In his
own strength of a young giant who
daIlies with dangers that he knows
he can overcome in. his own good
time.
While the American giant follows
his bent-which, in the main, Is chas-
ing the almighty dollar-the newspa-
per is expected to make some kind
of bluff at getting representative gov
ernment. The game can't be made
very interesting under existing rules.
For both its dullness and its ineffec-
tiveness the newspaper is berated and
blamed. There might at least be en-
tered for us the plea in mitigation
that was made for the orchestra In
the old Leadville dance hall. Gen
t.emen'-read the famous sign
the politeness-
please don't shoot at the trombone
player, he's doing the best he can.'
We newspaper men are doing the
best we can under very adverse con-
ditions.
Believes in "BIeaehers."
The fathers tied us up tight, tenta-
lively, pending a further development
Of our government capacity under un-
tried democratic institutions. My
reading Of the history OF our people
makes me credit them with purpose
and sagacity. 1 am believer in the
"bleachers." The American electorate
has been lethargic in the face Of the
prevailing and unavoidable futility.
The people have been sizing them
selves up. They have become con-
vinced that their dangers Of tempera-
ment do not lie on the side Of radi-
calism. They are going to trust them
selves a little more and take some
what more active part in their own
affairs.
How shall We change? The anxiety
lest we shall act too quick or too
radically is all misplaced, dear, con-
servative friends. We are pretty
shrewd bunch of Yankees-what do
you call them in South Carolina-not
crackers? Well sleep it over a lot
before we actually do much. The
English system has always seemed to
be to mark out safe lines along which
a more direct control by the people
might be patterned. They have a
pretty real representative government
over there. And a feature about II
not to be despised by us Of the fourth
estate is that under the English sys-
tenn the newspaper is effective be-
cause it is interesting, and interesting
because it is effective. I can never
quite get away from the idea that the
highest duty of a newspaper is to be
interesting.
Results of Publicity.
The beneficial results Of publicity
are most striking on a worldwide
scale. The world scheme Of progress
in broad outline has been remodeled
by steam, electricity and the printing
press. We do not profit in full meas
ure in our republic. We are bound
down by archaic restraints and re-
strictions.
That is the spirit. as I see it, of the
American unrest at this time.
Mark you, not being a historian oil
an economist, I cannot discuss philo-
sophl, ally or profoundly expert ques-
tions You and I are here to SWAP
experiences, and 1 am here to give
you my impressions as formed on the
firing line of journalism. The editor
is obliged to shoot on the fly and be
shot at "settin.'" The somewha,
cynical reading public is inclined tc
think that the only good editor. like
the only good Indian, is a dead editor
The one-cent newspaper is modern
marvel. There is nothing quite like
it, price considered, in all our modern
civilization. In spite of its cheapness
and excellence and the work it Is do
ing for the people. l hear so mucf
criticism and dissatisfaction that
sometimes feel as II journalism
should be included with medicine II
the inquiry: "Why is it that a mar
will cheerfully pay a thousand dol
lars to a lawyer to keep him out o.
jail and kick at paying ten dollars t
a doctor to keep him out of help
The newspapers are constantly en-
gagged in an effort to keep the coun
try from going to ruin at one cen
a keep.
1t is from the newspaper angle tina
1 wish to discuss the question o
what is the matter with the United
States. Perhaps not so very much Ii
the matter as yet. But the people o
this generation are right to be con
cerned now about future generations
We who are on earth at this momen
are but a single link in an endles
chain. 1t is manifestly very import
ant that we shall be the right sor
of link. Posterity is always the para
mount issue.
Nothing the Matter.
The Enthusiastically cocksur
American may come back at me whel
I ask what is the matter and poin