The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-08-21

SentS Itself.
The Abbeville Medium continues its
attack upon Governor Simpson in its last
issue by flank movement rs we'll as
charge in the front. The direct blow is
sought to be delivered upon the phos-
phate line, while the flank is fought Oh
the watchword of "down with idolatry."
All that the Medium says about the evils
of hero worship, in the abstract, we en-
dorse, for we feel that the undue praise
of one man tends to dwarf public senti-
ment and to control that free expression
of opinion in the discussion of public
questions, which is necessary for the full
enlightenment of the people and for the
prevention of undue combinations by
which the government is run in the in
terest of few. The dangers from an
unconditional surrender to the control of
any one man cannot be over-estimated,
but in its fear on this subject the Medium
falls into the pit on the other side, and,
as soon as man begins to gain public
favor, constitutes itself as a committee of
one to prevent the people from worship
ping him. In the discussion of this SUBJ
ject the Medium has seen proper to de-
scend 20 personalities, as follows: "Ever
since the campaign of 1876, service to
Hampton has been the measure of
mans fidelity to party, and so it is now
-unquestioning support of Governor
Simpson is made the test of ones obedi-
ence to law. There is lots of sentiment
in such course of conduct, but there is
not bit of manhood" That Governor
Hampton occupied an unusually promi-
nent position in this State is true, and is
accounted for in the fact that he accom-
plished an unusual victory, for which our
people would have been ignoble ingrates
had they not returned proper respect and
esteem. Their action was nothing more,
however, than selfrespect required
Governor Hampton did not control the
State, but failed to carry out some of his
most cherished plans, because the people
differed with him in opinion, as on the
Bond and University questions, for in
stance. The allusion to Governor Simp.
son is entirely gratuitous, for there has
been nothing like hero worship for him.
He has gone along quietly performing
his duties, and has not sought display in
any manner whatever. The only COM
mendatton he has received is that which
has come up spontaneously, and is based
entirely upon his official acts. We have
differed with the Governor upon several
questions, and expect to take different
views of other questions from those he
entertains, but that is not sufficient
ground to justify an unreasonable and
discourteous TRADE against him. The
Medium has never been satisfied with any
Governor, and probably never will be.
In fact, none of us are likely to be pleased
with every act of a public man, and it is
bigoted to abuse good man because he
does not suit you in one thing when, per-
haps, he has pleased you in a dozen
others. In forming our opinion of pub
lie men it is necessary for us to take them
on an average, and, viewed in this light,
we venture the assertion that the admin
istration of Governor Simpson is as good
as any we have ever had in South Caro-
lima. The Medium also announces that
there are no great men in South Carolina,
and from its course we are satisfied that
our friend at least finds some satisfaction
in this discovery. 1t evidently wants
our State to remain devoid of great men,
for as soon as any one reaches promi-
nence and success our contemporary i'm
mediately begins the work of trying to
pull him down. If on the contrary the
effort should be to build up instead of
pulling down, perhaps we would find
that there are some great men in South
Carolina yet. The caviling and fault
finding which is done by some self-con-
stituted political critics in this State
tends to drive our greatest men into the
private pursuits of life, because they
know that no prominence can be attained
without the most wholesale misrepresen-
tation and abuse.