Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1859-11-02

anu Keep iToiu HpiES nut III SiSH'i oenihu ih
the race for commercial supremacy.
Congress has never been beset by lobby
members, more anxious and busy than those
who have attended our Legislature for the
last five years, for the purpose of prevailing
on the State to embark almost single and
alone in this visionary project. There has
been high prize at stake, aud it is not sur.
prisng that rhe Legislature are boldly warned
of the improbability Of obtaining Office or
political favor for M individual who unfurtu-
nately ranks with the fogies. Goo eating and
rooG cheers is tcnlered with unexampled
!reedom-al things are promised by all men.
The citizens OF old Edgeiield, always here.
tofore considered sound to the core. are led
| to believe that they are to get rail road
through the town or village OF Edgeeld then
again the Sauda side of the District are to
have rail road from Nnetr-siX 10 Aiken.
The Savannah river side of the District are 10
see the terminus of the Blue Ridge Road
pass down the Savannah river to Augusta.
The Bnrnwell and Colleton people ar. to
get road from Augusta to Salcahatchle
| Bridge and to Beaufort village.
Ifihe people Of Edgefeld, Barnwcll and
| Colleton will only allow themselves to reflect,
;hev ill see the utter fnllacy Of our baing
benefited by large expenditures Of Stste
credit for works out of the State, and that it
is our policy to reserve her credit to aid in
building roads within our limits.
We want road to lead from Cheraw to
the North Carolina line in the direction Of
the North Carolina coal fields; one from
Augusta to Beaufort; one from Columbia to
Hamburg; one from Nnety.six to Aiken ;
| A. HI, ap,l % r., Fl Inn.
burg and the only way to get the necessary
State aid to build them, will be to keep the
State from running into debt for work that
will absorb so much capital, that her rail road
| ,lebt, connected with that which is being made
for the new State Capitol, will deter her for
many Years from helping useful and necessa.
ry works. that we really must have, in order
10 keep US in the commercial and agricultural
position that will enable US to keep company
with other States which object seems to be SO
earnestly desired by the patriotic Blue Ridge
advocates.
Now, one of the parties from Charleston,
who has ably fought for this great prize, is
said to be worth million of dollars, and has
Subscribed no more than was actually re-
quired by law TO give him q seat as q director,
aud hand in directing the disbursement of
I the States money. Another gentleman, said
to be worth three hundred thousand dollars,
we believe, has not taken dollar Of thc-stock
of the Blue Ridge Company-his burning
eloquence has carried many member far
away from his line Of duty to his constituents.
Now, if those gentlemen lad gono up to
Columbia, onc with his name down for hun
dred thousand, and the other for twenty-five,
backed by other large sums, and gcncrel
subscription from the merchant of Charleston,
we might more easily tolerate their 0ver-bear-
ing persistence in appeals to the Legislature.
Alter making speeches for a week, and get
ting up a terrible whirlwind, the vote is taken
merely to know who are patriots and who
fogies.
| Ii the majority be against them recon-
sideration must, of course, be had, aud day
and night allowed t. work on the wavering,
when the vote is again talen the patriots
prove to have gained some six or eight votes
VERY encouring: another reconsideration is
begged aud allowed from the fogies; on the
next ballot the patriots are found to have
touched the right cords, and carry the bill by
one vote.
Thus the State, so far as the House can 60,
is in for vast expenditure by one votc ami
that possibly bought vote.
The Legislature of South Carolina, in 1854,
went into lllis scheme with great reluctance,
moved 10y pledges from this clamorous set,
t!at Sue would hot be askel to do more.
But for those pledges the bill! could not have
passed Yet in less tllan two years after
these same patriotic gentlemen 90 to Culum-
bia to battle for carrying out the .origina!
design of getting the State in for the whole
work, with all the extensions necessary 10
render it complete in all its parts. 1t was
said, get the State in for two millions, and
the third will be easily obtained When in
for three nlIl, two more must of necessity
90 to save the tnrec, SO that the beginning
has no end short Of putting the State Trcasu-
ry, and the States credit, N the hands Of
those seI-constituted guardians, to be used
all Hbitunl. If these gentlemen are allowed
to rule the State, SO lung as State bonds can
be disposed of Charleston may lie still, and
have rail roads built for her. And it would
not surprise us to hear an argument set up
that Carolina State Rail Road works will not
pay without more lines of steamers. The
State having undertaken to build commercial
roads, and commercial cmpuriumS, without
the aid of mercantile capital and enterprise,
will of course have to respond TO the call, and
in that way cndcavOr TO reader her ba'l!y
located aud badly managed rail roads protita-
BILE sources Of income.
We are an mpul>ire people, apt to be led
away with grand undertakings, rather than
poi along in regular progressive snd general
improvements.
Instead of taxing ourselves for ready money
| Ii,,,,t,1 4 h,, Il
thousand dollars, (S30O, ,000,) that would have
given US a building that almost any other
State would have been satisfied with, we
must 60 in debt for the money, and erect one
to cost three millions, (S3,0O0.000)
In 1921 and >, VIC were engaged III gen.
eral system of internal improvement. After
expendins nearly two millions and half,
(S2500,Q00 tue whole pr jcct was abandoIl-
cd, and that large sam Of money sunk and
wo may now see finely cut granite stones,
that were built into canal locks, ed for
foundations for corn.cribs and barns.
In 1896, we again embarked, with much
zeal, in project to huill Il great l"uJlc.t,uck
ruH roal, from Charleston 10 Cincinnati,
which would have cost at least twenty-five
millions, (S25, 5,000000) Fortunately for the
State, the fever subsided. aud We wound up
the scheme by building a single track to
Columbia, which could have been carried over
better and shorter route, and for less than
half the money expended on it, if the people
of Columbia had been left to build it them
selves, unaided and un;nhuenccd by politi-
clans.
We arc now afflicted with raging moan.
tain rail roacl fever, which We trust will cool
oil, and end in adding another short link to
our South Carolina rail roads. The State in
this case NAV, by acting as a discreet intli-
vidual would do, make the best use in her
power of bad investment.
This, at least, would be the course pursued