The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-09-21
A PERSONAL MATTER.
The Greenville Ne,rs says:

tnG very grave error ne lnabt Soiic tiuie
ago. Confidence in his ability and i'll
tegrity is universal, and yet the u,tcrnn.
ces ofhis newspaper against the RailrOad
Commission will inevitably be construed
as the utteranccs of a Director Of the
Columbia and Grcenvillc Railroad
Such n construction will destroy the
force of those utteranccs. and his news
paper can not command the same respect
that it usually does or have the same in
tluence as on other questions in which
the editor is free from suspicion OF hav-
ing interests apart from those OF his con
stituents. We wish our friend would
resign the Dircctorship. The Office will
never do him any good and his 0ccupa-
tion of it will surely harm him. While
he is identified, even i'll the most remote
way, with the Clyde Syndicate he can not
have the power and strength he ought to
have"
The lNTELLIGESCER is not embar.
rassed by its position in railroad matters,
rs it does not care for its readers or the
public to endorse any Of its views where
good and sufficient reasons arc not ad-
vanced for them. It's Editor recognizes
that as Representative and as al Edi-
tor his first duty is to the citizens of his
County and he will always be found
advocat az what lie believes to be for
their il Interest. lie was made Director
Of the Columbia & Greenville Railroad
with full knowledge by this Company
that be owed the allegiance above set
out, and without any reference to it or
understanding whatever, direct or indi-
rect, in regard to It, From the charac.
ter of the gentlemen composing the
Board Of Directors there Is no doubt that
this Company would have been unwill
ing to associate the Editor Of the INTEL
LIGENCER with them had they thought
he would prove recreant to q public
trust. The Editor has not changed his
views upon the railroad question, but he
does not expect to resign his position as
o Director. 1t is true there is no profit
to the Editor of the INTELLIGENCER as
q Director, but he accepted the position
after consulting several of his friends
among the business men Of Anderson,
and his acceptance has been approved by
Others. Our Greenville friend must re-
collect that we represent Anderson
County, and not Greenville; and there
fore if our constituents here are satisfied
with our pooition, it is scarcely matter
with which the people of other Counties
need concern themselves. The people
of Anderson do not possess the antipathy
for the Clyde combination that the peo.
pie Of Greenville possess, and if We have
to be in the power of 4 single railroad
corporation we would rather have the
Clydes than some which Greenville
would prefer to them-as, for instance,
the South Carolina road under Mr.. Nc.
Grath. We want competition in rail
roads here, but we do not forget that MIR.
McGrath's system oppressed Anderson
and ali interior points to build up
GreenYille and other competitive points,
and also that the Clydes stopped this
and gave to all points along their line IN
approach to equality in freight rates.
The only public injustice of which An.
derson has complained under the Clydes,
was the miserable mixed train of last
winter, which we hope will never again
be restored. We mad this, however,
under Mr.. McGrath, and did not even
have comfortable cars for passengers at
the time they we're expressing Anderson
to such an extent that many of our
freights were hauled eighteen miles over
dirt roads to escape tho enormous freight
rate that then existed. The Clydes have
given us passenger trains with comforta.
Bile coaches, and have greatly reduced
our freights, putting us upon an equality
with Greenville. Therefore, they are
not personally obnoxious to our people.
There were certain Inconvenience and
determinations practiced by railroads in
South Carolina which we favored Com.
mission to regulate. We'still favor the
Commission, but do not think it has
given the relief sought 1t has raised
local tariffs, and therefore as represen.
tative of this section we complain. Our
utterances are not as o Director of tho
G. & G. r. R., but as one of the people.
If construed as those of Director of the
railroad people must think the railroad
very kind TO object to an increase of its
rates. AS matter of fact, we believe
the railroad does want to tring Northern
and Eastern freights to US cheaper than
the Commission seem disposed to permit.
The question as TO these through rates,
however. is still pending, and we will
not comment further upon it just now.
We shall continue, as vel done here.
tofore. to criticise either t-.e railroads or
the Commission, as we think the public
interest require, without regard for the
people who may view US with suspicion.
We we're placed upon the Board of Di-
rectors as representative of the Blue
Ridge section of the road, and accepted
ss such, and as long as we remain upon
it We shall act as we think right upon
all questions as they arise. Whenever
the people of Anderson or the owners
Of the railroad wish us to resign, we will
cheeffully do SO, but we do not see that
persons outside have any concern with
the matter. The article of our Green
vile contemporary is written in cour-
teous and candid manner, for which we
entertain respect, and therefore we have |
given 1t a somewhat lengthy considera. !
ton, in order that our friend may have
possession Of our views about the SUBJ |
iect. 81; s.fs