Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1882-09-14
An Interesting Letter from Mr..
M. w. Coleman.
sEsEoA clrY, 0cosEE cousrY, s. c..

SENEoA Cry, OcoNEE CouNTY, IS. O.,
September Tth, 1882.
MEssRs. EDIToRs: notwithstanding the de-
clination Imade In the Seneca Journal sometime
ago my name was still continued to be published
| as q candidate for the Legislature. sec this
week the announcement is made in tho CoupIEn.
guess you hnve authority from somo one TO do
so certainly not from mo nor with my consent.
My friends, like oil friends, arc confident of
success but fear they arc indscreet and have
not surveyed we'll the field. We should have
candidates who can mount the stump 10 refuto
sandcrs and meet, the opposition whioh con-
fronts US, and who ore able TO do credit 10
themselves and honor to the party which they
represent. l am not qualified for such nor
have ever fiattercd myself into the belief that
IL was possible for mo TO bc elected. l am but
stranger in the county and there are many
better known and who will give generally more
satisfaction than 1t is possible for me under
existing circumstances.
L The position Of o representative of the people,
however, honorable, Is not enviable. It is i'm
possible 10 please all and suoh responsibilities I
will not seek The public servant no matter
how faithful he may be nor how earnest and
untiring in all his efforts 10 do right, is con-
slant target for tho disaffcctcd. At his door
100 often is laid tho cause for the discomfort
"h1oh springs up among the masses.
f" Tho evil mon do lives aftor them;
The good is oft inferred with their bones"
In your issue Of August 3lsi you have IN
editorial article headed :. High Freight Rates"
which meets tho approval of many of your
readers. Certainly the matter of transportation,
i'm Inn yyif roll
attention. If not tanned in its wild career It
will redown to injury, and any party that per-
m'ts and continues to permit those usurpa,ions
will go to pieces. Already il is used by tho
opposition TO show that our party is either sub
sidized or inefficient. railroad pnrakcs Of
tho nature of public highway and is not
strictly private property, tho owners being the
bcnefciares of the State to the extent Of extra
ordinary privileges granted. The people con-
tribute these privileges which are vastly more
important than money. When raroad accepts
charter from tho hands of the State il aoknow-
ledycs its public character and accepts the
responsibility growing out Of ouch acknowledge
ment. If the State has tho right to pass laws
bringing into existence enterprises where the
people have TO surrender privileges and private
rights, she certainly has the right to pass laws
regulating those enterprises to stop their en-
croachments and protect the rights of tho people,
the source from which all power is derived.
We deny that the creature is greater than the
creator. This question should DO freely dig
cussed and agiatcd, for there is danger Of tho
State getting completely under control Of the
railroads, and if SO fear the government will
be bad one. am sure il will be hard to
overthrow, for they are backed by both money
and intelligence.
In your last issue Of September 7th you have
an article headed "Ncw Counties" which l am
satisfied meets the approval of minority of
our people. You show oonclusvcly by statistics
of population and property that it would be
detrimental to give up any portion of Oconce;
certainly ruinous to part with that portion |
which is most likely 10 60. l think the position |
OF Seneca City in this matter is not properly
understood, aud in justice 10 our citizens will |
say that we disnpprovc of any division. How
ever if the constitutional amendment is carried |
and division is forced upon us we will contend
that this is the point for locating the new county
site, rs VIC claim decided advantages over com
peing places mentioned for its location
There is another question which should enter
into tho cunvnss. l nludc TO fencing off the
mountain or stock raising portion of the county
from the strictly agricultural portion. believe
n majority of our people nre willing TO be taxed
TO bnild the fence. No fnir minded man should
object, for 1t is but simple justice 10 those peo.
plo. They feel That they have been badly
treated and returning sense Of Justice on our
part will SO far towards reconciling them. 1t
makes no difference how weak or how few in
number they may be, rights to them are us dear
as they are to tho many or the powerful. Go
vernmcnt was originally instituted for the pro-
lection Of the weak and those who were unable
TO protect themselves, and il fails in its runda-
mental principle when it neglccs TO do So
Hoping that good men may be found who arc
we'll qualified and whose conduct through life
has been such as the people generally approve
as candidates of the Democratic party, am
very respectfully your obcdient servant,
NJ. W. COLEMAN.
Mountain Raat locals