The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-02-10
EIGHTEEN CENTS A WEEK

Oh4N Il ~ IA w
those privileges which were threatened to be
infringed by the building of the Columbia and
Augusta Railroad.
| CONCLUSION.
In conclusion, it will be well to glance at the
general policy Of the company, with view to
ascertaining what has been accomplished, and
Of seeing plainly wh,ther the management has
been such as warrant lasting belief in the tu-
ture prosperity and stability OF the road.
The South Carolina Railroad was al expert
ment, and it was exposed to the dangers which
attend ell undertakings whose first steps cannot
be guided by the lights Of experience. From
the first it was warred upon by prejudice, and
against the positive assertions Of its opponents
could only be set the hopes and beliefs Of It's
friends. But as the work progressed the way
became more clear. Traction by horses .was
rejected, steam power was adopted, and the
whole road was at length completed. Then It
was no longer an experiment, and they who had
been the first to ridlcule were, reasonably, tie
last to praise. =.
In the management Of the road from the
time Of it's completion, there were mistakes In
| detail, but thero WAS no error Of principle. It
could not be told BY theory that an earth foun-
dation was better than one OF wood or stone;
nor could it be told by intuition that trains
could run with safety at twenty. forty or fifty
miles an hour, or that the earnings OF the
South Carolina Road could be counted by mil
lions Of dollars. ..a-e..,
These things had to be learned, and whom
they were known it is not surprising that they
shoald have been made the basis Of exaggerated
calculations and unreasons Bile confidence. But,
| whatever the occasional change Of system, the
policy of the road has from It's earliest years
been directed to securing in the interest Of its.
stockholders, frequent trains, accommoda-
tion for all the trade that could be found, and
low rates for passengers and freight. These
principles we're adopted in 1910, and they have
been adhered to ever since. The South Caro-
lima Railroad was the first road in this country
to enunciate so liberal policy, and. as was
seen during the War, when it was the Last
Southern road to advance it's rates,-as is seen
now in the frequency Of it's trains and its
moderate ct arges,--it has acted up to the
standard which it established.
The South Carolina Railroad always kept In
view the importance Of through connections,
and, as already noticed, was mainly instru-
mental in building the Charlotte and South
Carolina Railroad. 1t has also subscribed
| largely to the Macon and AuR Rusta Railroad,
which is now near completion. The object OF
this action was to bring trade to the road, and,
by the road, to Charleston. No President or
the South Carolina Railroad has used his posi-
ton for the purpose Of drawing trade away
| from this city. The interests Of the State, OF
the CITY and the railroad, were made one anc
the same. AS the line passed through the
country, each district was benefited; as the
country districts were benefited, the general
prosperity Of the State improved; as the pros
psrity of the State improved, the trattc
of the road increased; and as country, State
and railroad added to its prosperity, 80 the
trade Of Charleston grew larger and more
profitable.
This system has been continued with per-
severing zeal When it was found that the
course Of trade had been changed and that
WHICH haaG ];PSs efss eEe @ eRdaagGripg to draw On
ton. the Board armed themselves anew and
prepared to make good fight FOR their own
and the general welfare. They obtained an
interest in q line OF steamships, to run between
Charleston and New York, they sent out ther
agents through Georgia and Alabama and 70
the chief cities Of Tennessee, they proved that
the Charleston route was the quickest, cheap
est and best, thoy put down their rates ana
forced business. AS result they have been
enabled to make profit for their road, they
have given this CITY the benefit OF tens OF
thousands Of bales Of the staple, they nave
been able to a -commodate the local traftio oy
giving it the conveniencies OF frequent anu
regular trains, they have worked upon the road
bed and superstructures until their whole road
is in better and safer condition than 1t hao
!. ever been in it's palmiest days before the war.
The South Carolina Railroad, despite grum0le
and o. mpIaint, has high reputationfo for Hnan-
cial integrity and business economy, and II ita
, reputation has been sustained through trial,
danger and difficulty, the result is only due 70
The skill which has directed its affairs snd
| dictated it's management. Experience La neces'
) sary even in conducting railroad; and ten
million of dollars is tco largo SUM to entruat
to the care of experimental philosophers whose
3 theories may prove safe in practice, but who, Il
3 they fail, will bring to absolute ruin hundreds
whose support depends upon making
= the South Carolina Railroad safo Ind
profitable investment. During the war every
man thought that he could command an army
with success. Now, every man believes tina,
9 he can create business out OF nothing, convert
l loss into profit, and change pine trees to green
3 3 backs. The one idea is as sensible as the
other; aid it is certainly far better to make the
z best Of what we have, by giving it encourage
ment and support, than to pet and caresf
9 visionary schemes wi ch, at the best, Will have
n no other charm than yheir novelty, and, at the
worst, will mako the stock OF the largest cor
j poratlon in this State worth no more than tn
= paper upon which it is printed.
naur