University of South Carolina Libraries
TUE ADVERTISE!*. Subscription Price is $1.00 per Year Payable in Advance. S. E. 130NEY, Editor. published by advkutiskk printing company laurens. s. 0. Ratios for Advertising. - Ordinary advertisements, per square, one inser tion, $1.00; each subsequent insertion, 50 cents. Liberal reduction made for large advertisements. Obituaries: All over 50 words, one cent a word. Notes of thanks: Five cents the line. Entered at the postofficc at Laurens, S. C. as second class mail matter. LAURENS, S. C, AUGUST 12. 1908. WHY IS THE ADVERTISER? Entering as we are upon the twenty fourth year of The Advertiser's publi cation the occasion warrants a few per sonal remarks and questions. On Au gust the fifteenth, 1885, this paper was brought into existence and has been is sued continuously since that time, each year bringing new and added prosperity and enlarged patronage. Encouraged by these condition.; we are led to be lieve that the paper lias always striven to fulfill the work of a NEWSPAPER and accomplish the purpose of its founding, and SUCCESS is the reward of this effort. Then WHY is The Laurens Adver tiser? In the first place it was begun and is now conducted as a wealth-pro ducing enterprise to make money. Business men work for returns, not wholly for the love of work; love of work will not finance an undertaking. To make money the owners of The Ad vertiser are furnishing a commodity for which there is a demand, namely, a newspaper. Thev are supplying an ar ticle which the people buy ?THAT'S BUSINESS. The next thought is prompted by the preceding: Why do the people buy this article supplied by this particular cor poration? Because it comes up to the requirements for a NEWSPAPER. A newspaper is an organ for the dissemi ination of the news of its territory, for the expression of views relating to pub lic matters and a medium of communi cation among the various branches of industry. The Advertiser is the county paper of Laurens, its territory circum scribed by the county boundary lines; it carries the news of Cross Hill to Lanford, of Clinton to Princeton, and so on. Why is The Advertiser? Be cause iL disseminates the news of Lau rens county. The second function of a newspaper ? the expression of editorial opinions is none the less important and quite as much in demand. Discussion of mat ters pertaining to the public, advocacy of enterprises that will aid and promote the public good, condemnation of wrong, opposition to all forces, movements ami institutions that tend to degrade or im pair expressions, we say, upon all these matters are demanded by the reading public, and the paper is judged and appraised according to its attitude on such subjects. The Advertiser's record speaks for itself, Glancing over the files of the years past we find that this paper has not-failed to express itself on public matters, lias always been the advocate of good en terprises, suggesting new movements, encouraging the maintenance of all in stitutions for the uplift of the people, striving to promote the interests of j farmer, merchant, banker and profes- ' sional man. It has NOT SOUGHT to ARRAY the INTERESTS Of its COM MUNITY one AGAINST the other. It has unfalteringly denounced what it deemed detrimental to the public weal or whoever advocated such; it has not been the champion of any men or insti tutions that feed vulture-like on the public wealth Or whose business was to degrade or debauch the public mind and morals. Its influence has not been lent to the propagation of fraudulent, dis honest schemes; it has condemned such, Why is The Advertiser? Because its editorial policy has been for the better ment and advancement of the commu nity. As a medium of communication for the various business interests in Lau rens this paper's power may be esti mated by noting the advertisements, notices, announcements and such like that appear in its pages from time to time. Not being engaged in the task of arraying farmer against merchant, or both against banker, the value of advertising will) us has been recognized and our patronage is evidence in fact that this department of the paper is on equality with the others. WHY IS Till'! ADVERTISER? BE CAUSE IT IS STRIVING EARNEST LY, FAITHFULLY AND HONEST LY TO FULFILL THE MISSION OF A NEWSPAPER. Who will we send to the legislatur The three best men in the race? KEEP YOUR TEMPER. Some days ago \vc received a com munication from a correspondent, and a good friend of this paper he is, too, expressing his and his friends' thanks to us for exposing the schemes used by the Blcase workers in Laurens county and giving the records on such matters. For these expressions we are deeply grateful; our actions were prompted by motives of SERVICE to our people and the desire to give them CORRECT information on the subject of negro notaries. We are glad our efforts are appreciated. Rut our good friend goes on to say: "The trick wap a mean one" (referring to the methods used to boost Please and injure Ansel); "give them 11A11. COLUMBIA. If you let a few mild CUSS WORDS slip we will not find fault; it looks like the situation de mands it, . . . there is no use let ting that crowd run over you, we will have to fight fire with fire." Well, good friend, we cannot censure you very severely for getting hot over this matter; your sense of fairness and de cency was outraged by such LOW, DIRTY polities, and no doubt you did get pretty warm under the collar. But keep cool; keep your temper. Let the "other fellow" get mad, which many of them did when their tactics were ex posed; keep your temper. Now, as to advising The Advertiser to "let slip a few mild cuss words," we must say that our correspondent is not a very close reader else he would surely have noted that just a few weeks ago we attempted a bit of swearing and failed ignominiously. We didn't even spell the word correctly; so we are com pelled to decline any future attempt. Anyhow we will follow our own advice to others and KEEP OUR TEMPER. A campaign should be educational; otherwise it is a failure and a reflection on the general intelligence of the coun ty, revealing, as it docs, intellectual deficiency on the part of the office seekers, or the fact that the people do not demand or cannot appreciate a high toned, sensible, instructive campaign. If Candidate Please ever hoped to win the vote of respectable, law-abid ing citizens, he has now, judging from reports of the Newberry meeting, dis carded that idea and is making a direct appeal to the other clement. Some good people will doubtless vote for Blcase, but it will be for personal rea sons or from a lack of information con cerning the man. The ministers of Newberry were forced by the continued utterances of Blease to come out and declare them selves decidedly not in favor of bis can didacy. This they did in a dignified way, making no additional and super fluous remarks. The Advertiser is much gratified over the numerous responses to its appeal in behalf of the Bryan campaign fund to be raised in Laurens county. It mat ters not to us where the money is sent; to any democratic agency is all right just so the fund i3 raised. This paper made the first contribution and issued the first call, showing its loyalty to the democratic party and its deep concern for the interests of our candidate. Again we urge that every voter con tribute; the money is needed for the expenses will be heavy. Laurens should raise $.'1,000 for the Bryan fund. Editor W. II. Wallace of the New berry Observer has our deepest con gratulations upon the manly, dignified manner which characterized his conduct and utterances during and after the State campaign meeting in his town last week. But then Mr. Wallace, high-toned gentleman that be is, could not have deported himself otherwise. For the sake of reverence let the candidates cut out such wild use of Cod's name in their speeches. It seems that in these days an aspirant for office scarcely thinks he has done; justice to his subject or attained the desired end in oratory without in some wise cm ploying the Deity's name. The most popular expression in the Laurens county campaign is: "I am no orator; the office I am socking does not require speech-making." It is well that such is the case, so some one was mean enough to remark after one of the meetings. The negro Methodists of this city have sustained a heavy loss in the re cent burning of their church. They are now endeavoring to complete the new structure in thecourscof erection. We bespeak for them the aid of our white eil Izens in this effort. Hon. W. C. Irby, candidate in I his county for the legislature, calls The Advertiser to task for supporting "that republican from Charleston." How does Mr. Irby know that Mayor Rhett is a republican? Some one asked this question on the streets hero a few days ago: "Who is (he best democrat in Laurens'.''" (live it up; hut we know which newspaper in South Carolina is the best when nil ured by the democratic yard-stick. NEWSPAPER PREVARICATORS. Being wholly averse to extreme terms, altogether unlearned in the de nunciatory, abusive arts, and possess ing an innate temperamental mildness, we are, in consequence, much attached to that word "prevaricators" in pref erence to others more acrimonious. There are some prevaricators in the world today, which assertion will doubt less be accepted without question or contradiction. Some people are natural prevaricators, some acquire the habit early in life, while others become ini tiated through the practice of their professions. It is a generally accepted opinion that lawyers must be pervertersof the truth and adepts in the arts of deceit. News paper writers also come in for an am ple share in this kindly consideration and are usually regarded as jugglers of facts and wholly unreliable, irresponsi ble specimens. As to lawyers, we re fuse to believe there are no honest ones. We heard of one who had an office and office hours somewhere in the West. In regard to honest newspaper men? writers who tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing more there is not one living: some are dead. If a news paper man were to publish all he hap pened to know both he and his publica tion would come to a sudden and violent end. They arc not supposed to tell the whole truth; but they ARE supposed to be truthful in what they DO tell. There is absolutely no excuse for willful prevarication. Consider, please, this deplorable ex ample from the pen of one doomed eter nally to a prevaricator's perdition and on a swift road to his reward. He wrote "of a cyclone, saying that it turned a well wrong side up in Missis sippi, turned a cellar up side down in Wisconsin, moved a township line in Nebraska, blew the staves out of a whiskey barrel in Iowa and left nothing but the bung hole, changed the duy of the week in Ohio, killed an honest law yer in the West, blew the hair off a bald headed man in Texas, killed a faithful doctor in Illinois, blew the mortgage off a farm in Kansas, scared red haired women in Michigan, blew the crack out of a fence in Dakota, and took all the wind out of a politician in Missouri." AND THAT BRYAN WOULD NOT BE ELECTED PRESI DENT. There was no preaching service in any of the churches here Sunday, the congregations taking vacation from re ligious devotion. When tiro pastor's away the sheep will play. No preaching at all in Laurens Sun day, which goes to prove that Laurens people do not require unceasing admo nitions to keep them straight. We expect to support the three best men for the legislature. In his speech at Newberry Cole Blease likens himself to Christ and paints Rev. CJco. A. Wright as Judas. Here is the newspaper clipping in ref erence to the incident: "He said that he was a criminal law yer, that he had defended a good man who had killed the brother-in-law of Rev. (ico. A. Wright, 'who has lost his religion and stabbed me in the back as Judas betrayed Christ.'" We must admit that we bad never considered Cole Blease in that light be fore; it is new tons, somewhat strange, and we must say that somehow it does not strike us as being altogether appro priate. in 1 !>0<; Candidate Blease was the avowed advocate of the old State dis pensary as it stood, claiming that there was no graft, no corruption and rotten ness in it. He was defeated. Candidate Blease has defied anyone to cito a blot on his record, public or pri vate. All right. Blease was a mem ber of the investigating committee of the old dispensary, the duty of said committee being to disclose all the crooked dealings in connection with the dispensary business. Samuel J. Laim nau, wholesale whiskey dealer, had a South Carolina State senator employed to look after his interests. Blease said in the presence of witnesses that he knew who this senator was. Why did he n?t tell? So the least that we charge against his public record is unfaithful ness in the discharge of his public duty. Strange it is that some good Bryan Democrats hold against Mayor Rhott the fact that he did not support Bryan in lHIKJ; they tire not observant of their chief's attitude toward such. Judge Cray did not support Bryan in 18%, yet Bryan wanted Judge Cray for a run ning mate Ibis year; Colonel Henry Watterson, si gold democrat of 1896, has been appointed by Bryan to bead t he newspaper publicity committee, and both Editors Caldwcll, of the Charlotte Observer, and Hemphill, of the News and Courier, have been appointed on that committee, they both having sup ported Palmer and Buckncr. Do you see, democrats of Laurens, how the vaunted Bryan democracy of John P. ({race works out? Do you sec how he stands and how much faith and dependence may bo put in his utter ancos? Is he a safe Bryan democrat to follow? IN REPLY TO MR. 1KBY. There is such a glaring contradiction in Mr. Irby's card that we feel called upon to note it. He says: "I have asked a great many persons if what I said could bo construed ns REFLECT ING on ANY HONEST MAN of ANY calling;" and just a few linos above he says: "A certain crowd in Laurens who do not care a continental dam about the people except what they can pet out of them seemed to be trying to get the preachers to preach .... etc." This utterance most certainly reflects upon the integrity of the ministers in that he accuses them of being USED by this unprincipled "crowd" as TOOLS to preach denunciation of dispensary supporters. The use of the word "seemed" docs not mitigate Mr. Irby's charge in view of his definite accusa tions. So to make these utterances consistent Mr. Irby must believe that the ministers of Laurens are not "hon est" men of their "calling." Now who is this "crowd" that he re fers to? Evidently the prohibition "crowd" who have supported the min isters in their manly, Christian-like stand against whiskey drinking and whiskey sale. Are there any honest men in this "crowd?" In one place Mr. Irby says there are some honest prohi bitionists, so now it would be well for Mr. Irby to designate and make nil ac cusations clear. He says he reflects on no "honest men," then who does he ac cuse? Who are the DISHONEST ones, Mr. Irby? Of course we, The Advertiser being a corporation, one of those soulless monsters, octopuses, not "caring a con tinental dam about the people except what they can get out of them," do not expect to be considered HONEST by Mr. Irby; we look for no kindly consid eration from him, and his scathing de nunciations have completely withered us, of course. We are not asking for ourselves, but for our friends. Now WHO are the HONEST and who the DISHONEST? Card From Air. W. C. Irby, Jr. To the Editor of The Laurens Adver tiser: I see that I have been misquoted by your reporter and desire to correct it. While I am always willing to stand by what I say, I cannot be responsible for careless or wilful misrepresentation. I regret very much that your reporter has seen tit to falsely report me as say ing that I did not care a continental damn what the church members of Laurens thought of the whiskey traffic. I did not say that, but did say "a cer tain crowd in Laurens who do not care a continental dam about the people except what they can get out of them, seemed to be trying to get the preach ers to preach that if a man voted for the dispensary as the best solution of the whiskey traffic that he was not fit for membership in the church and ought to be turned out." I further emphasized the fact that while I had advocated the dispensary as the best solution of the whiskey traffic; that 1 bad always voted to al low the peoplo of each county to decide for themselves as to what they wanted. 1 further stated that I knew there were a great many honest prohibitionists, but gave my reasons for believing that the whiskey question was being pressed in every campaign by corporation news papers in order to keep honest men fighting one another while corporation attorneys slip into the legislatures and tied things more conqdctely. As to all this talk about my using the word continental dam I thought every body knew that a continental dam was a certain piece of money paid to; the soldiers of the Revolutionary war that became so worthless that when a per son desired to say a thing was abso lutely worthless be would say it was not worth a continental dam. I have asked a great many persons if what 1 have said could be construed as reflecting on any honest man of any calling and they have invariably said that it did not. The fact that I referred to what seemed an inconsistency of The Ad vertiser in advocating prohibition and supporting for the United States senate a republican and a friend to blind tigers in preference to a life long prohibition ist or the fact that I denounced the cot ton mills for conspiring to crush the producer by shutting down was no ex cuse for your reporter to twist my words to suit himself and place me in a false light before the Christian men and women of my county. I ask that you publish this in fairness to me. W. C. IRBY, JR. Editor's Note The above card from Mr. W. C. Irby, candidate for the leg islature, requires a word in reply; such parts, however, as pertain to the dis puted point and not the additional speech he makes to the voters. There are no charges for this advertisement of Mr. Irby's, although he offered to pay for it, The Advertiser being will ing to err on the side of liberality when a candidate thinks he has been wronged. Mr. Irby thinks that Mr. W. L. Tay lor, who reported the L?ngsten meeting for this paper, misquoted his utterances making him say otherwise than he in tended; he even shows why there "was no excuse for your reporter to twist my words to suit himself." Everybody in Laurens county who knows Mr. Taylor knows also that he would never be guilty of maliciously misquoting any man to hurt him. This accusation by Mr. Irby will fall on deaf ears in Lau rens county. There is no more careful, conscientious newspaper man in Lau rens county than he, and Mr. Irby re flects upon himself in bringing this charge. Upon the point at issue Mr. Taylor reported Mr. Irby as sayiag this: "Declared that be was not wedded to any liquor-selling system, thought, however, that the dispensary was the best way to handle the traflic and he did not care a 'continental dam what the church members of Laurens thought of it. Is himself an officer in thechurch and would not hurt or try to injure the church itself." The reader will note Mr. Irby's ver sion of his remarks. The only com ment we have is, that Mr. Taylor heard the speech, and while lie is as suscepti ble to error as Mr. Irby himself, wrote an account of it as he heard it, which account lie believes to be true and cor rect and stands by it, at the same time deeming it unnecessary to hunt up tes timonials from others. Attacks upon the church and minis tors of the gospel will not prove a draw ing card in either county or State cam paign. Candidates, take the tip; it is free. ^Mt*******-* ? AMONG THE EXCHANGES. | Blease a Destroyer. Everything Blease advocates is the tearing down of something. He docs I not favor building up anything nor docs he offer any remedy or substitute for the things lie attacks. It is much easier to tear down than to build up. A man may apply a torch and destroy buildings in an hour that have taken years of thought and toil to build.? Bee Dec Advocate. Woman Wants but Little. What women want is a complexion like the breakfast food baby's, a figure like the cloak model's, teeth like the dental powder girl's, hair like the seven Sutherland sisters' and a husband like .John I). Rockefeller. Dallas News. The Fit. The Montgomery Advertiser is genu inely distressed because it can't find out why a man hugs around the waist and a girl around the neck. Ever sec a man? Ever sec a girl? Then reflect a moment and quit worrying.?Charlotte Observer. That Dark Brown Taste. Booze and Blease! How does that sound to the voters? -The Laurens Ad vertiser. I Sounds very good, but, oh, the after effects.- Rock Hill Herald. Low Politics. A few weeks ago a hullabaloo was raised somewhere in the State in Lau rens county, to be exact- over the fact that Ciovcrnor Ansel had appointed a negro a notary public in (Ircenville county. A lot of people did not know that it was a common thing; that is that other governors had appointed re spectable negroes as notaries public and were condemning the governor. A friend of Governor Ansel in Laurens county took up the matter with the private secretaries of former governors and found that since Hampton's time every one of the succeeding governors had made similar appointments, In each case they were satisfied by infor mation and investigation that the appli cant was worthy and the appointment was made. Ansel has not made any bad "breaks." He is maintaining the dig nity of the high office he holds and deserves credit for his record. ?Green wood Index. Impressed With Rhctt. Well, now, honest and on the dead level, didn't Mr. R. G. Rhett impress you at the campaign meeting here last week as a man who knew what he was talking about? It wouldn't be much of an exaggeration to say that. Rhett has forgotten more than some Of that hunch know or will ever know. Mill Workers' World. Tillman on Immigration. A wise man sometimes changes his mind; a fool never. Senator Tillman has always favored white immigration to South Carolina of the "right kind," of course, but until he saw the people of Northern Italy in their own homes he thought that all Italians were "un desirable." Now he says ho has changed his mind and would like to sec immigrants come hero from the Pied mont section of Italy. Newbcrry Ob server. The Farmers' Friend. Mr. Grace, of Charleston, the young man who is warning the farmers of the State not to vote for Mr. Rhett for United States senator, is such a friend of Cue farmers that he took the farm er.-,' labor contract law into the United States court and got Judge Brawley to overturn it. He did not even do this for a fee, but just out of sympathy for the poor down-trodden negro. Spartan burg Journal. Is Mr. Orace a Safe Leader ? Mr. J. P. Grace, a young lawyer of Charleston, is the man who took the labor contract law into the Federal courts and had it knocked into a cocked hat, causing the farmers of this State so much trouble about a year ago. Mr. Grace is now going about over the State advising the people not to vote for Hon. K. G. Khett for United States senator. Mr. Grace a year ago was the friend of vicious and unprincipled negroes against the farmers and others of the State. This year he poses as the spe cial friend of the farmers and others and sets himself up as a leader and tells the people how to vote. Is Mr. Grace a safe leader? Are Un people going to follow his advice in voting for a senator?--Anderson Daily Mail. Why ? a Montgomery girl wants to know why a man hugs around tho waist und a girl around the neck. Why does a cow look over a stone wall? Why does a hen cross the road? Why does the president wear suspenders? The State. Waterloo News Notes. Waterloo, Aug. 7. Mr. Willie Boyd, of Greenville, is visiting bis grand-par ents, Major and Mrs. Thomas 15. An derson. Misses Agnes Puckett and Christine South, of Greenwood, were the attrac tive week-end guests or Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Long. Mr. Joseph M. Pearce will return this week from a delightful visit to friends in Apple ton, S. C. Mr. Jas. IL Lowe, the popular sales man for C. W. Anderson, the promi nent si oe merchant of Sparenburg, spent several days last week with home folks. Miss Mabel Nelson left Sat unlay for a fortnight's stay in the mountains of North Carolina. She will be joined there by a party of friends from llonca Path. Mr. and Mrs. B. F. Wilcutt were tho guests last week of relatives in Green wood and Coronaca. The It. K. D. men are now enjoying I their much needed vavation, having 1? (lays in which to rest, seek pleasure and be merry, Col. Robert N. Cunningham, of Rose mount Manor, spent several day i In t week in Laurens, on business interests. Mr. Marvin Wharton, of Columbia, is the guest of his cousin, Mr. S. W. Puckett. Miss Klin Wharton has returned to her home, after an enjoyable visit to her sister, Mrs. A. C. Keller, in Green wood. Mr. Connor Nelson made a business visit to Cross Hill Saturday. Rev. Mr. Sexton, of Princeton, is conducting a series of meetings in tin First Baptist church this week. Much interest is being manifested. Mr. Algie Simms, of Columbia, is with Mr. Wright Simms, for a brief visit. Mr. Paul 10. Anderson, of Abbeville, and Roy Anderson, of Newberry, were in the city yesterday. New Infirmary at Carolina. The new infirmary nt the University now nearing completion is one of the most complete institutions of the kind in the country, and parents sending their sons to the University may rest assured that they will receive the be: I of attention in case of sickness. One of the most striking features of the building is the contagious ward, where patients suffering from infec tious diseases may be isolated. The institution will be known ns tho Wallace Thomson Memorial In fir in: try and is tho gift of Mrs. Ann II. .li ter to commemorate the memory of the kilo Wallace Thomson, an alumni of tin South Carolina College. The infirmary will be in charge of a competent nurse of wide oxporionce. Excursion August Ulli, Excursion rates from Laurens to Nor folk, Va.. (for seaside resorts), $10 :;o to Wilmington, N. C, (Wrightavillo beach), $0.50. Corresponding rates from other points. Through Pullman sleeping cars on train No. 82 direct to Norfolk, arriving Norfolk 7.30 a in August l.Mh. Tickets limited to return on any train until Soptombor 1st 1008 Make up your party and go via the At lantic Coast Line. Enjoy tho surf and ocean breezes for two weeks. For reservations or any information write W. J. Craig. passenger trallie manager: T. c. White, general passen Ker agent, Wilmington, N. C, or J K Livingston, soliciting agent, Columbia, o. L>. Services at Highland Home. Pastor E, C. Watson, of the High land Home Baptist chinch announces that in his absence from his rogulnr ap pointment on the third Sun.lay, tIn morning services at II o'clock,, will be conducted by Lmther Karl V. Mal.b. recent graduate of Furman University'. Reunion Confederate Veterans, (irecn ville, S. C. On account above occasion IheC., N. &L. R, R. will BOll tickets Lauren's to Greenville, S. C, ami return at the low rate of 75c for round-trip. Tickets on sale Aug. loth, 11th and 12th with final return limit Aug. nth. Corresponding rates from other point l( For further information ask the agent or wnh- .1. F. Livingston, s. a., Columbia, S.C,