The Gazette
August 19, 1903

Having been honored with the position of president of the Farmerville State Bank, an institution which will begin business on September 1st, I am compelled to retire from the editorial control of THE GAZETTE. In the future my time will be chiefly devoted to the interests of the bank. However, my associations with the paper do not cease altogether, for I still retain control of the financial interests of the business, and will continue to look after that department to the best of my ability.

Mr. W. D. Munholland succeeds me as editor. He is well known as a graceful, fluent and forceful writer, and I feel sure the readers of THE GAZETTE will have no cause to regret the change at the editorial helm. Mr. Munholland proposes to conduct the paper along the same road that it has traveled in the past, from a political, moral and progressive standpoint, always adhering to its motto, “Be just and fear not.”

I do not intend to write a regular valedictory, for as stated above I am still connected with the paper, and hence it is not my purpose to say good-bye.

In conclusion, I sincerely thank THE GAZETTE’s many friends and patrons for their warm and generous support in the past, and ask for a continuance of their favors in the future.  J. G. TRIMBLE.

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In assuming the duties of editor of THE GAZETTE, we are not unmindful that many responsibilities follow. We have always looked upon the Press as the moulder and leader of public opinion, and not the follower of thought and progress.

We are thoroughly conscious of the conservative and able management of THE GAZETTE’s editorial department by our moral, upright and patriotic predecessor, and we are filled with more or less trepidation when we think of the magnitude of our duties to the public. We are not over-confident in our ability to fill well the places of those whom we succeed, and are fully aware that the rapid and important political and financial changes about to take place in our locality, state and nation will tax our capacity to reach editorial requirements and the demands of the people. It shall be our aim, however, to keep The Gazette, as a journal, up to its present high standard, at least, and shall feel more than  gratified if we succeed.

In politics, we shall be democratic, but shall avoid factions. We shall uphold the right and denounce the wrong, and in so doing shall advocate better schools, better roads, public improvements and progress generally.

We shall endeavor to instruct, aid and encourage the people, and hope they will encourage and aid us. We invite reports of local events calculated to be of general interest or usefulness. We do not care to promise more than we may be able to accomplish, so we under take our responsibilities with a promise to do our best, and ask a continuance and an increase of the present patronage of The Gazette as our reward and as an expression of your appreciation of the efforts of the retiring editor. W. D. MUNHOLLAND.