Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-08-30

nearly two years tnat Governor cole
L. Blease has not been getting a fair
deal at the hands of the newspapers of
South Carolina He has not been get
ting a fair deal at the hands of corre-
spondents who have been sending mat
ter out Of the state. He has been de-
liberately misrepresented and ridicul-
ed in scores Of instances. and as the
result thousands Of people are honest
ly holding absolutely incorrect opin-
ions Of him. We do not want to be
understood by this as holding Govern
or Blease up as q model In any par
ticular, but We do say that there are in
the state many public men who are al
most as prominent as Governor Blease
and who are held by people opposed to
the governor, to be above reproach
from every point Of view; but who are
really no better men than Governor
Blease from any point Of view.
In view Of the manner in which
Governor Blease has been treated by
the newspapers, we do not blame him,
for the attitude he has maintained to-
ward the newspapers. Some Of the pa
pers have treated him fairly, 1t Is true;
but, it has not been practicable for
him to distinguish between them and
his denunciation of newspapers as a
whole has been in large measure JUS
titled. And there has not been as
much small malice in this denunci-
alton as has been made to appear
There was practical politics in It.
Realizing as he did that the newspa-
pers were unalterably opposed to him,
and that they would not give him q
fair deal under any circumstances,
1t was to his interest to speak of them
in a way that would impress the pub
lie with the fact, that they were his
bitter enemies. That idea was most
conspicuous in his famous inaugural
address. and equally conspicuous in
that message with which he accompa-
MED his veto of the libel bill.
We do not want to be understood as
seeking to change anybody's politics.
The other fellows politics is none Of
our business. The only thing we are
driving at is that the first duty Of q
newspaper Is to print the facts. all the
facts as far as possible on both sides.
1t. Is the privilege Of newspaper,
when 1t sees proper. to comment on
facts. The newspaper has as much
right to its opinion as any Individual
has to his opinion, and 80 also has the
individual as much right to his opin-
ion as has the newspaper. The all i'm
portant thing is that the opinions Of
both be based upon facts.
While there Is supposed to be but
one party in this state, as a matter Of
fact there are two. Scores Of news
papers and thousands Of individuals
have all along been trying to deny this
fact and they will continue to try to
deny 1t, notwithstanding the fact that
everybody recognizes it as the truth.
Denial of this fact by one side and re-
cognition Of 1t by the other has been
one Of the most conspicuous features
Of the campaign now on, and 1t has
had more to do with the vote than any
other one thing. But discussion Of that
is not our present object. All that we
want to impress just now Ia that II
the newspapers of South Carolina
would render. the state the greatest and
most conspicuous service hereafter. no
matter who Is elected, they must keep
the people In close touch with the true
facts. And If they would have the in
fluence they desire and should have,
they must so conduct themselves that
all their readers will be impressed
with the fact that they are seeking to
teach only the absolute truth.