The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1913-09-11

an admirer Of Mr. Watson re-
quested us to stop at Thomson and
see Mr. Watson. In complying with
Mr.. Miller's request We were also
gratifying our desires. We were met
at the door by Mrs. Watson, who
informed us that Mr.. Watson was
busily engaged writing, but would
be glad to see us in the course of an
hour. We informed her that we
would not interrupt him, but would
go out to the publication plant, but
we would like to see Mr.. Watson be-
fore we returned to the depot. MI.
Wilson, the superintendent Of the
plant, took pleasure in showing us
through the building. 1t is certainly
an up-tO-date plant, and it makes one
feel well repaid to visit a plant so
fully equipped for the publication Of
papers, books and magazines. We
stopped at the house on our return
from the publication plant and sat
under the trees and read until Mr..
Watson came out, because We stopped
off at Thomson to see Mr.. Watson; he
came out and We sat under the trees
and had quite a pleasant converse
ton. We were not representing any
paper and did not go to interview
him, because we have read his writ
ings for a number of years and are
therefore familiar with his views on
economic questions and his opinion
of many Of our public men. Mr..
Watson is easily approached and the
quiet unassuming disposition Of the
man at once disarms you of that feel
ing of embarrassment SO often en-
gendered by the presence Of great
ness. Mr. Editor, we wrote a letter
for one of our South Carolina papers
soon after We returned home and
gave an account Of our visit to Mr..
Watson. We also said that Mr.. Wat
son in writing his books on the Ro-
man Catholic Hierarchy and how the
church of Rome evolved Pope is
doing more for the cause of Protest
antiSm than any man has done since
the day that Luther renowned the
teachings and practices of the Roman
church and took the Bible for his
guide. This piece has not been pub
lished, and l do not think there is
Catholic among all his readers. The
same issue Of his paper that should
have contained my letter in reference
to Mr.. Watson's works, gave about
half a column to a description of
very wealthy merchants store. That
you see, was a plain case of you
tickle me and I'll tickle you for the
dollar. The paper also gave con-
siderable space to local news, who
visited last week, ETC., something
that will never advance anybody in
the scale of human intellect. / used
to contribute for that paper. Such
actions on the part of our neWspa-
perS amounts to a suppression of
free speech. How can an editor with
such biased views be a factor for the
advancement Of his people? We have
not got a free press in South Caro-
lima. If you want to abuse Governor
Blease and brag on Tillman you can
get all the space you want. We re-
ceived a letter not long since from
eX-United States Senator John l..
McLaurin in regard to the best plan
of marketing cotton, the letter also
had some reference to Senator Nc
Laurin's candidacy for Governor. We
got his permission to publish the let
ter and sent it to the Columbia State.
The State returned the letter and
thanked us very kindly for the letter,
but said they did not have room for
it. 1t was not long letter, and l
think the State paper refused to pub
lish it on account of the enmity eX-
listing between Senator McLaurin and
Governor Blease. The press of our
State has lost it's influence on large
per cent of our people, and | think