The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1872-08-07
CcoSTINuEp FRoMLasT wEEK]
FRANKLIN H.. ELMoRE.

Ibis gentleman was born, in Lau.
rens District. His father was Gen.
eral Elmore and his mother Sax
on. He graduated at the South
Carolina College read law and
was admitted to the Bar. Very
soon after he commenced the prac-
tice of law, he married the daugh.
ter of Governor John ,Tayler, of
Columbia, and was elected Solici-
tor of that circuit. m When Gov
ernor Hammond resigned his seat
in Congress, Colonel Elmore was
elected his successor. He remain
ed i'll Congress several years, and
acquired high reputation there
as a debater and political mana
ger. He was then elected Presi-
dent of the Bank of the State, and
remained at the head of this insti.
tution for many years. He man.
aged its finances with great abili.
ty, and defended the institution
with untiring zeal and fidelity. I. 1t
was assailed byGmany of the first
men of the State, but Colonel Ell
more always managed to repel
their assaults with triumphant sue.
cess. When the city Of Charleston
was burnt, in 1888, he managed
to increase the capital Of the Bank
several millions, by means of the
g Fire Loan" for rebuilding the
city. The Bank of the State be
came, in some measure, a political
machine, and the politicians were
very freely accommodated with
loans by the Board of Directors.
The Bank controlled the State, and
Colonel Elmore controlled the
Bank. ,5.. ,.....
The Governor, Seabrook, had
intimated that he should recon.
mend, in his annual Message to the
Legislature, to put the Bank in
liquidation. This information was
communicated to Colonel Elmore,
and, thereupon, he wrote me the
following letter; and Immediately
after my arrival in Columbia, he
called to see me. He came to my
room and sat till a late hour in the
night, urging the impropriety of
the coarse which Governor Sea.
brook was disposed to pursue in
regard t. the Bank. o / stated to
him frankly that I was opposed to-
the Bank, that / did not .bink it
proper for the State to undertake
tue management of bank, and
tbatI was in favor of bringing the
institution to close. Mvressons
and argument were set forth at
some length Il never can forget
the utter disappointment an d NOR.
tification of Colonel Elulore OH that
occasion. He-left-me sad and sor.
rowfnl, andsI really felt panied for
him: ,. 'o
.ooi CHARLESTON, Nov. 16, 1849. y
Ded,' SIR: Your course as a
public man has always been char,
acterizedS b byl6pe1hsss and candor,
as well as by statesmanship that
looks beyond the moments svicto.
ry into the inore important results
of the future. | write you, there
fore, in tue spirit of candor, and
with the public welfare as my OBJ
Ject, on subject as deeply affect.
ing South Carolina as any ever
presented. WT -
l heard, at Columbia, from one
ever hostile TO the Bank otqtbe
State, that Governor Seabrook
would recommend its being mt
in immediate liquidation. 1t Would V
have been incredible had no dom. :.
ing events cast their shadows ba..
fore, butYthat which was rumorI IA
one might have Supposed at %.
lambia, 10 repeated in the streets
here, and is, | have reason to know.
true. q QEOKlkkH HZka9 4oi
Now. my dear sir, on You and