Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1857-01-21
1t will be the height Of imprudence for us to

counting the citYsof Charleston subscription
and the small sums received in other States, and
after the road is built, what will be our condi
tion? We will hHFe an unwieldy property-a
political hobby fosspur needy politicians to ride
and 10 rule the Ststs with an iron rod.
No man can look at The subject for moment
without seeing tint q direct road to Charleston
will be inevitablef9 When The Blue Ridge gets
10 Aiken it will: bsin the hands Of the South
Carolina RairoadEompany, subject TO their
will and pleasure, sand their 5stes, however ex.
orbitant, and therGwill be no alternative left
but to buy that coNcern out, or build a road to
Charleston, where1he. Blue Ridge ought 10 have
commenced.
I am not willingto to see the State of South
Carolina engage i1any public work without hav.
ing at least three.fhhs of the stock subscribed
by responsible invianals.
Individual enterprise and capital ought to
predominant in every great work. The absence
of it has shipwrrcked many promising under
taking In neary}all the recently made rail.
roads leading outs,,of Northern cities, private
capital predominates; and yet they are set forth
rs examples TO urge our State into work in
which she will hayeno such aid.
There are few 3tate works within nv kaowl.
edge which have proved successful. The great
Erie Canal is e.lThat is, however, so dissiIni.
lar to railroad, that a just comparison can
scarcely be madeira great canal like the Erie
may be compared sto a river, which is free to
every man to useaRis own craft, his own ma
chinery, cbaosingshis own mode of propelling.
The whole operation is individual enterprise,
Independent Of allsrestraint, excent paym.;:: Of
tolls The State;pe New York on that work
simply receives the tools, and has nothing to
gain or to lose, by.She good or bad management
of the working department; while railroading
is the most complex business known to civilized
man. e.
There il no business which requires such
comprehensive literally connected driving en-
terprise, and minufs detailed economy. A rail.
road is not worthsSany thing without good
manager to conductit. Out Of $4,000 men you
can scarcely find afs man for railroad presi-
dent; and without good management it will be
q tax upon its owner.
The Georgia State road is another successful
State enterprise. tits somewhat similar to the
Blue Ridge road except that it passes its entire
length through productive, agricultural part of
the State of Georgia, which was a wilderness
waste before that Bork was commenced. 1t
opened q new and .yast FIELD for profitable agri-
culture, as was the sase with The Erie Canal and
Gennessee countrYS in that way, the States Of
Georgia and New York have been largely com.
pensated for The oHlnys incurred.
Blu. you must bahrin mind, that the State Of
Georgia, before shawould move in that matter,
secured q comgsIiis outlet to the seaboard, to
Charleston ind sSasAifidh. She bargained for
that before she went into that enterprise. 1t
proved successful, and The State of Georgia now
owes but $5O0,00O for her public works. With
out that competition outlet, that property would
have been worthless. The State road at Au-
gusta felt that inconvenience in occasional low
rivers, which threw that Company on The mercy
of the South Carolina Railroad Company; but
that has been obvinte by the Waynesboro road
to Savannah, thus giving that work two outlets.
The great railroad works all around US are cited
as examples for emulation. have learned long
since that all is not gold that gtters. We are
very apt to look at the success aud brilliant out.
ward show of an enterprise, rather than to the
difficulties that it has had to encounter. The
history Of the rise and progress Of the Georgia
State road ought to be a beacon light TO warn
Soul, Carolina of the quick sands and shoals
which came near swampng the State Of Geor-
gia. That State had banking institution simi.
lar to our Bank Of the State In the mids! OF
Georria's embarrassments with her great State
work, her Bank gave way, and it became ne
cessary to wind it up; her public works had to
be suspended, and remained so for several years,
during which time Georgia State per cent.
bonds went down to 48 cents in the dollar, and
it was only through large loans from Charleston
merchants that Georgia was able to resume her
works, and pay interest on her debt.
Now, Mr.. Speaker, let me ask you, are we
not liable to the same state Of things? Is our
bank on better foundation than the State Bank
of Georgia was? Can we hatter ourselves that
we are better able to manage bank, or pub
lie work, than the enterprising people of Geor.
gia a?-admitted on all sides to be people un-
exampled for bold and successful works. and
who constitute the Empire State or the South 2
But to return to the subject Did you ever
know State government to carry on business
right Have we not sad lesson before us in
the new State Capitol? Over $500, 900 entirely
lost and gone before We commence to get out
the stones for foundation. Have We not n
lesson almost equal to 1t in the first three years
Of operation on the Blue Ridge Road? From
the reports before us, we have reason to come
to the conclusion that the whole operation is
charceable with errors, confusion, loss and abb
sence of progress-for it is no nearer compile.
ton now than it was the time Of its commence
ment.
Would any of you be willing to purchase a
rice or cotton plantation, or large mercan-
tile concern, that was under the control and
management of the State? think you will
say no. Then why will involve the State in q
large debt for works which she is not capable
of managing? 1t is bad enough to spend ready
money in doubtful and Improbable enterprises
to borrow for such purposes is objectionable.
Some wears ago had occasion to visit many
of the railroad establishments ut the North. l
was there struck with the difference between
the management Of State works, and those
which wereNowned and managed by enterplising
individuals. The Offices Of State works had the
appearance of anything more than that of n
place of business. Sesar smokers in idleness,
business papers scattered about mixed with
segar stuinps, all confusion, floors not swept
once month, yard gates broken; if you wan
ted information, the man who could give it was
out indeed every indication of careless sloth:
How different the office Of an individual enter
prisc-eyerything as neat as pin, and as order
" as mercantile counting house.
The Pennsylvania State works are notorious
for bad management, and works which cost that
State debt of $40,O00,0O0, will soon be 0
worthless property; they are now being ra"id
ly superseded by works Of NOW ,ro ot;oo, ci,or
acter under th" , direction of Individual CAPT.
toll
..iISLS.
The Georgia State Road is complained of by
every body; the people Of Georgia are heartily
tired of their ownership, and the State woult
have sold out long ago, but for the politioa