Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-02-20


Mr.. Brice or any member of this COM
mission has stolen or misappropriated
a single penny. We have as much
confidence in the integrity Of Mr..
Brice as we have in the integrity of
any living man. But we do not dis
agree with Governor Blease in every
thing. He is governor of South Caro-
lima, elected by a majority Of the
white voters and, as such, whether we
like him or not his deliverances are
entitled to thoughtful consideration. If
he should ask the general assembly,
for instance, to endorse the Ten Com
mandments as good moral law, we
would not undertake to justify the
general assembly's refusal on the
ground that the governor was not sim
cere. We would assume that, even
though he was not sincere, the fact
remains that the Ten Commandments
are good moral law.
Recurring to the controversy be-
tween Governor BIease and Mr.. Fell
der. while that matter does not ap-
pear to be a part of Mr.. Brice's griev-
ance, still 1t has a bearing. 1t will
be remembered that Mr.. Fielder prom
ised to give us a book IN which he
would show up Governor Blease as
having had criminal connection with
the whisky houses. That book was
to have been Forthcoming within thir-
ty days from the adjournment of the
last session Of the general assembly.
We do not pretend to say that Mr..
Fielder cannot do what he says, but
we would rejoice to see him do 1t, II
he can. But that book has not yet
appeared. We are still waiting for It.
Governor Blease gave out several
letters alleged to have been written
by Mr.. Fielder proposing to go into
partnership with Hub Evans to rob
the state. Mr.. Fielder claims that the
letters are forgeries. and maybe they
are, but no proof has been offered.
Yes, we have republished various
ernor without making any editorial
comment thereon; but we do not
agree with Mr.. Brice in the assump-
ton that such publication necessarily
means our approval. 1t is certainly
our duty to print things with which
we have no sympathy, and which we
are unable to approve; but we do not
feel called upon to say so in every
instance We have not yet arrived
at such an exalted estimate Of the
range of our information or the in
fallibility Of our opinions.
The most astonishing and incompre-
hensible thing in the communication Of
Mr.. Brice Is his advice to keep our
ear to the ground" We know that
there are people who keep their ears to
the ground: but the honored old pa
triot from whom we received all the
best training that we have. did not
teach US that way. The writer has
occupied the chair in which he Is now
sitting for twenty-one years. During
thirteen of those years he had the ad-
vantage Of the fond but nevertheless
able and wise training Of a man In
whose ability, probity and wisdom we
have never lost confidence. During the
last eight years we have been continu-
ing to follow our early training as best
we could, and II We have swerved
from our duty either by 'rumblings
from the ground" or threats, taunts or
jibes we are not aware Of the fact.
Mr.. Brice will probably remember that
once when we were working with him
and he with us along lines that both
of us believed were right, the Hon. b.
r. Tillman told the people Cat Filbert)
not to take The Enquirer; but Mr.
Brice will not remember that the cir
cumstance had any appreciable effect
on The Enquirer's course. Before The
Enquirer gets to where 1t must put its
ear to the ground" prompted by the
love, respect and veneration we have
for it's honored founder, we hope 1t will
cease to exist.