The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-02-12
The Proposal to Sell the City and State

L
people, ,le and and prepared them, for vigorous
campaign against the strangers who would
buyup foe whom they canrot otherwise
overcome. -.
It must be remembered that the men who
are busily at work comprising the ruin OF
the city and State, take as their starting
point the impudent assertion that they know
better than we know what our interests are'
They cannot, deny that the South Carolina
| Railroad is Cherished and valued institu-
ton, with whose history are connected the
names Of our most honored citizens. They
do not pretend to say that the South Caro-
Ina Railroad has nos been operated for the
benefit Of the:public. They are fully, aware
that it has'given, and does give, to the peo-
ple their means eof INSTRUMENTATION;
that 1t has brought the fleecy wealth OF the
Mississippi Valley to the shores Of the At
lantic; that it has given to Charleston her
fleet of swift steamers; that it has, yearly
| wear, fought and overcome all manner OF
opposition; that it has been the great heart,
forcing the quickening streams Of trade and
/ commerce from the interior to the seaboard,
and from the seaboard to the mountains.
It is because Of these things, because the
aim OF the Sbuth! Carolina Railroad Com
pany.is the common good, because it works
for; 4 this. state and not against it that
Ring is formed to cheat the people Of their
rights, and to induce them to sell their
prlzed possession for price as insignif.
can't as it is uncertain. It is because, while
the South Carolina Railroad Company is
owned and controlled by South Carolinians,
the future Of the State is assured beyond
doubt, that the Ring would strip the people
OF their protector and support, and turn to
other shores the tide Of steadily increasing
prosperity. 4 'aIa
The Ring have worked skiliully and Sc
cretly, and, when. South Carolina was to be
betrayed, the Judas was not wanting. But
the veil has been removed, the deep-laid
plot is published to the world, and from
every side come cheering expressions OF the
determination that our naiu railroad, our
stay and prop, shall not pass into the hands
OF them whose only object is to rob US Of
the fruits Of seven years Of atient and un-
remitting toll. T." '".
We would thatwe might print in these
columns the ind gnant letters which are
written, and the loyal words which are
spoken, upon this all:important subject.
From, Orangeburg comes the bold declara-
ton that the writer will rather toss his
stock certificate into the fire than use to
place the iron highway Of the State at the
beck and call OF Georgia Ring. Other
counties talk in the same strain; for they
know that, sentiment apart, any policy me-
c=ssarlly discriminating against South Caro-
lima must ipjure all its citizens. And in
J bCharIeston, the feeling against the Ring is
no less intense. Said one Citizen "Only the
"day before yesterday, would have sold
"an my railroad stock for a fractional
s!advance upon the market price. Today q
,sihuadrea aollarsa a share avont bug ii. A
'.handsome profit on my railroad stock will
"not make up to me Tor the loss Of my bust
.sness, and the depreciation OF my property"
Nor is this temper confined to one class, A
respectable drasman publicly announced on
Saturday that che was ready to buy South
ssCarolina Railroad stock, and hold 1t till the
''day OF judgment, if that would help to
''smash the Ring, and to keep the road
s'under the direction Of our own people"
eWith such opinions as these, felt and e1-
pressed, there can be no doubt Of the result.
The situation is one that all can understand.
For seven years the business of Charleston,
the result OF the far-reaching management
of the South Carolina Railroad, has im-
proved in '6osh kind and amount AS
G6aarleeittcn and the South Carolina Railroad
advance, theifrivals leg b behind. The prlh-.
clpal sufferer, by our, progress! is the Cen
ltral Railroadef Georgia, which corporation,
by its agents, proposes to lease or buy the
South Carolina Railroad, and turn aflt lts ts
business to the Port of; Savannah. With
the South Carolina Railroad under the man
agement ol men who look to the well-Oeing
Of the people, Charleston is ever safe. With
the South Carolina Railroad under the thumb
Il -