The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1873-09-24
WORKS RATHER THAN WORDS
THE NARROW GAUGE RAIL-
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THE NARROW GAUGE RAIL-
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Editor AJJevdle Press and Banner:
South Carolina has political re-
nown and distinction enough to
secure her, an important name in
American history, yet to be writer
80 that, this generation may we'll
say, eve would rather works
than words from our leaders" " The
time is at hand when American
farmers, as a body, will insist that
the Cumulative system Of iEotipg
shall be partof the politica1 foln-
dation of American Republican
ism," that it may never be said
that minority of the citizens shall
be virtually disfranchised, because
they are the majority. With their
principles fairly engrafted in the
national political system Of the
United States, all her citizens will
be amply. secured in their rights.
The only works Of a material na.
ture that our forefathers have hand
ed down in the South, are worn-out
tobacco and .cotton fields and
country cut up with gullies, and
the most rascally apologies for roads
that were ever seen in Christian,
country. Itmay be properly asked,
"What was the reason of this!
Why this policy? They were edu-
Gated and. intelligent men," The
answer is, that they were bigoted
and selfish, springing out Of the
independent, isolated life they lived
on their retired plantations. They
enjoyed the pleasures Of aslife that
brooked little control from the coli
ventionalities OF society. They
were hospitable as a class, but it
was without inconvenience and for
the qualification of pride. The aim
of the past few generations Of our
progenitors is a matter rathergof re-
gret than pride when we reyiewtlle
result of their labors, and remenl-
Der that their great aspirations were
to leave ssbroad acres" and "mucl
labor" instead of ''substantial
homes" and public improvements,
that would have added much to the
happiness and comfort of their
descendants, now scattered from
the Atlantic to the Pacific.
Young men of the South, and
especially of South Carolina, LIT
not our children and their children
feel that we Of this generation onl..'
lived for the qualification Of our
own pride, and had no thought for
the unborn generations that would
come after us. AS Gods, intelli-
gent creatures, we are in duty
bound to try and improve the coun-
try we earn our bread IN. We are
morally bound to rebuild, as far az.
in our power, lies, the waste places,
and to reclaim the tens Of thousands
| of land that our ancestors ruined
| in the cultivation of tobacco, cotton,
etc. We are in duty bound to pro-
vide homes that will carry affection,
ate remembrances with us beyond
the grave, for no country can thrive
and be virtuous where the people
are not attracted to and proud OF
their homes
The new Highways Of the. nine
(teenth century, though entirely diff
ferent from those common in the
time Of our ancestors, are as abso-
lutely for the public use, and civil
|ization without good roads and easy
intercourse between the citizens Of
a common country, is a state OF
society not now easily. realized.
The public improvements of the
day are eminently worthy of the
attention of every good citizen
E'By your works shall ye be judged,
and not by your words" Do not
fly off at a tangent because you do
not like the man at the head of this
enterprise or that. Weigh the
matter well, if the work is calcu-
lated to be public benefit; sup
port it with all your good will, ell
ergy and works. Help in the man.
agement. You may be poor, but
there ale many poorer than you
are, and if you cannot aid by
money, do so by manual labor; if
physically unable, do SO with your
pen. There is always some way for
a willing heart to aid a good work.
One of these public works is now
pressing upon US. 1t means in
creased civilization; it means be-
ing on a Ftgreat national highway
from Europe and other foreign
counties to the West, to the Pacific.
It is the trunk line of narrow
gauge road proposed to be con-
structed from Foot Point, Port
Royal Sound, South Carolina, as
direct as possible to the Ohio River,
thence to Chicago, and ultimately
to Lake Superior, at Duluth q,
the present terminus of the North
ern Pacific Railroad. This looks
like big thing to recommend to
the attention Of a small State like