The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-06-24
Chorus.
General McCrndy's Letter.
(.NeWs and Gurier.)

NV "Nf"S
The cooling drausht which, Gen. Edward
McC,rauy offers TO the fererish advocates OF
extensive and Indiscriniinnte railroad build
ing In South Carolina cannot fail to exert a
wholesome effect upon the iInpattcnts for
Whose benefit 1t has been so skillfuliy and &c
curutcly compounded.
II is mnde clear by the l,cts which Gen.
Mc('rady has Incorporated In his argument
Is already more than sufficient for local needs.
and that in certain instances the existing
lines nrc more bnrdcnsOme tlinn beneficial to
the communities which they were designed
lines, moreover, presses heavily upon the tax
payers in many counties, ns llus been plainly
shown by their repeated efforts to obtain re.
lief IN the Courts, and the prospect that the
den which the people Of those counties have
imposed upon themselves renders the ques.
tion Of further construction, and consequent
additional taxation, ono OF Interest to the
public at large. .
IL is shown by the experience of the most
p0pulDus and prosperous sections of the
United States that Ito enable railroads. TO bo
Operated at q profit, Il population OF at least
1870 to n mile Of railroad Is necessary In this
%''cuuntry.' The proportion I'm South Carroll
III Is now about GIG to the mile, with add:.
iional roads in process OF construction which
will reduce the proportion 10 572 to the mile,
and with 1I2 charters granted for the con-
structiun of thousands Of miles more. South
Carolina, again, has already as many miles Of
railroad In proportion to population MS Con
%ncctlcut has, but In 1873 the Connecticut roll
GERS and nearly four times rs many tops OF
freisht. This comparison is based upon the
relative population of the two states, without
rcfcrcncc 10 the fact that only about one.third
of the population Of South Carolina IRE
whites.
IiIi HrinG more %rss popn Int enna and 1u ST TsI.
orado and other Northern States, and makes
the strong point besides that the capital III
vested and lost in building railroads In that
section wa purely speculative capital con.
iributed from without, while in South Carroll
M the capitul must be drawn from our "
people, for the most part unwillingly, by
taxation"
Carolina already has all the rai!rond facilities
needed for the shipment of It's products, Gen.
McCrndy directs attention TO tho fact that. cx-
ccpt as 10 the pine belt In the upper counties,
where the population Is rated NJ only 30 To-
the square mile, and in certain other small
districts which are carefully noted, tho State
Is so thoroughly covered by itS existing rail-
road system that 1t Is impossible TO describe
on the map any circle having 4 radius OF If.
teen miles which Will not strike some rail-
road Mt some point.
The effect Of new railroads and OF branches
and extensions Of old rnilroadS IN Crying
verting them into way stations, upon through
lines, is shown by the experience OF several
towns and villages III tllS State, the LcnQenCy
of railroads being clearly proved to be to dis
Sipnte small Dut convenient money centres
and drive capital to the cities, beyond the
reach of the small farmers, to the destruction
OF tile banking Interests OF local
ties.
What South Carolina needs, In Gen. McCrn.
dy's view, IL not more railroads, but more
with capital, and better country roads.
Turnpikcs are cheaper to build than railway
lines, distribute their benefits more equally
and more generally, and would feed anu
strengthen and build up the towns and vii
of the State. instead of sapping the life
from them, MS Is done by railroad monopolieS.
'rhe Stock law has saved the State an annual
expenditure Of Sgl7 ,00. which was formerly
devoted to the construction and repair of
fences, "rhis sum- Gen.. Mc(.rady says,
give us n vast system of improved
which would build up and develop
"Onr resources far more than any further cX-
Of our railroads." md every one
reads his nble and Interesting argument
will feel strongly disposed to accept his con.
clusion. Gen, Mc(rady, rs we understand
him, does not oppose the construction or
completion of through lines. especially by
capitalists. Such lines draw business
from distant points, and are, III large meas
urr, independent of local trade and travel.
II Is untcninble that n short line 10 the West
be beneficial TO the State, and we'll
the amount of local capital required to
ensure its construction. The subject Is full
of conScuurnrp TO the people of this State, |
and Gen, Met 'rndy'S vigorous anu clear pre-.
of it will not fail to enforce attcn-
lion and to awaken widespread dlScuSS1On.