The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-01-10
Director Murray.

| Director Murray.
| We are really pleased to ace go much
good evidence that Director Murray, oi
the Columbia and Greenvile Railroad is
not depraved or hardened man, and 10.
tains the sensitiyenoss regarding his per.
sonal aud official character which char.
acterizes every gentleman. The evidence
Is furnished by the devotion of all the
| editorial space of the last issue of the
| Anderson 1NTELLIGENCEk to the defence
Of Director Murray, the litor Of that
| excellent newspaper, against the several
| public criticisms of his action TINT have
appeared. The defences are also conclu.
sive evidence Of the ability of tho writer,
for every impartial reader Of them will
coincide in the verde: that they make
the best possible showing for very bad
case.
AS regards tho Ncws, Director Murray
is decidedly in error. 1t is always the
natural inclination Of Il public man
| whose action Is attacked to attribute the
attack to some unworthy motive and per-
suade himself that it is not caused by his
fault but by the malice or ayarice of the
person making it. Director Murray has
obeyed this impulse Of human nature,
aud Is probably sincere in his belief that
he ma. acted the part of nm upright and
wise statesman and that the adverse crit.
icisms are the results of envy, hatred,
| malice and all uncharitableness.
Tho truth is the Ne,cs has only good
will for Mir. L. B. Murray. Not very
long ago this newspaper led an energetic
and vigorous effort to make him Speaker
of the House of Representatives. Bus
sTe have Tery decided dislike to the
proceedings OF Editor Murray ef the IN.
TELLlaENcER and Representative Murray
of the County of Anderson, and to the
identity Of Director Murray, of the
Greenville and Columbia Railroad, with
those two officials. In seeking n cause
for the malice ascribed to us aud for our
editorial course Editor Murray reaches q
conclusion which is very ridiculous. We
are described as hating him because he
declined to accept our advice, and as
desiring to maintain the power OF the
Commission because of the advertising it
would do. The only way to rebut the
first charge is to introduce evidence that
the editor Of this newspaper is still al-
loved to 60 at large and to vote, having
not yot reached otage of iiii0oJ demand.
ing official notice and subjecting him to
challenge at the polls. The second
charge 10 eliminated from the discussion
by the fact that If there Is any more ad-
veftining to be done we do not know it,
and that II the new railroad Law affects
the advertising matter one way or the
other we are profoundly ignorant Of it.
All of this is aside from the real point
OF the controversy, however. Mr.. Mur.
ray may squirm and thro-1 mud as much
ae no likes, and may provo any amount
or corruption and malice against the
Ne,us and everybody else who criticizes
him. He is in the dock and his incoher.
| ent and foolish denunciations of the pros.
ecutors have no sting or force and w;il
not affect the verdict. Neither will hia
declarations that others are as guilty as
he OF that he has done a wrong and fool
| ish thing by the advice of the business
| men Of Anderson relieve him. As an
editor and representative of the people
he 10 supposed TO have certain amoiint
Of brains and independence. He is not
supposed to be the exclusive property
and special puppet of the merchants of
Anderson or anybody else.
If Editor Murray and Representative
Murray had within a year reversed his
position on very important public
question to which he had presumably
devoted much thought, We would have
been justified in charging that his mind
Is weak and vacillating and that he had
aided In committing what he now regards
as crimo against property and an
egregious folly, because he knew no bet.
ter. If the creation of the Railroad
Commission and the bestowal of arbitra.
~ powers on 1t was as great and disas.
trous blunder rs Mr.. Murray declares
1t In his recent speeches to have been.
no man who voted for it is worthy of
public confidence If the railroads are
40 dangerous and tyrannical and the
Commission 10 - much needed ma wa.
declared In Mr.. Murray's several speech.
% In December 1882, no man who voted
to interfere with the Commission or
against the old railroad law 10 worthy NJ
public confidence. Mr. Murray can
accept the horn of the dilemma that hs
prefers. Either way he is Convicted If
folly by his own ovidence-eyidencs do.
liyered with the solemnity and publicity
an oath. ~: "
But whom the fact is remembered Tint
Mr. Murray favored the Railroad Com.
mlssion and supported It for months,
that he uas elected director Of the
Oosumb!a and Greenville railroad with
no Visible Or known functions or duties.
and that Il s:eafter he began to oppose
she Railroad Commission with a. much
forco 90 he had supported It; whom these
circumstances are considered they fere
tho conclusion that Mr.. Murray's action
requirea ncno further explanation than q
general allegation Of imbecility in 1889
Or tmbecility in 1883. Until come salts.
factory explanation Is made Mr.. Mur.
FAY must expect upfavorable criticism.
and abuec of his critics will NOT inotifv