The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-05-19
HON. D. WYATT AIKEN.
THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF HIS WITHDRAW
AL FROM PUBLIC SERVICE.

THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF his WITHDRAW
AL FROM PUBLIC SERVICE.
A Brief Note of Some OF the Facts and
Incidents in an Evcntful Life...
Years of Integrity. Activity and
CsefuIness.--A Record Of Private.
and Official Virtues Which are
Worthy Of Imitation.
Our faithful Congressman for ten years, the.
Hon. d. Wyatt Aiken, publishes card in the.
Press and Banner this morning, declining to,
enter the canvass for Congressional honors
during the ensuing campaign. He is induced,
to this course because of the precarious condi.
ton Of his health. -
Friends in all parts Of the State will regret
to hear Of his continued ill-health. Colonel
Aiken has served his constituency with ear
nestness, zeal, and fidelity and he has made.
q record as Congressman of which he may,
well feel proud. He has ever been patriotic in,
the defence Of his country at the National
capital and he has always been attentive and
watchful to the personal interests Of those
who may have had claims upon his attention.
or services. He answered the smallest de-
mands upon his attention with promptness
and cheeriulness that made him popular with
all classes and conditions of men, and rendeE<
ed him so popular that he safely held his place,
against all competitors. In one sense Of the
word he was no respecter of persons. If the
hulnblest man in the most remote corner Of
his district sent him postal card, that citi-
zen WAS sure to receive an answer by return
mail, and his demands upon Col. Aiken were
as sure of his earnest attention as If he had
been the greatest Of his constituents.
Colonel Aiken has always been honest and ).
outspokcn, and this honesty and candor has
won to him friends who would stick to him
under all circumstances, while 1t Is equally.
certain that his trankness sometimes excited,
an opposition, which only gave the people an
other opportunity to manifest their love and
confidence in him.
1t may not be anlss to speak of Colonel Al.
kcn's in6rmity. Two years ago while in the:
discharge Of his duty as Congressman he fell.
on the icy pavements Of Washington city. re-
ceiving severe nervous injuries, from which. !.
he has never recovered. He went to Wash
ington on the opening Of Congress last De !.
cember, but he soon found that he was una
BILE to sit as a member. He has been in bed
nearly ever SINCE. Recently he has been.
somewhat better in health, but not having
recovered sufficiently 10 take on active part.
in the campaign to fulhll the duties Of
Congressman, lie has, to the regret. Of many
friends. announced his inability to serve them
any longer.
A
Colonel Aiken was born at Winnsboro, in !
Fairfield county, S. c., March II, 1873, and Is
therefore in his fifty-nintli year. He was
graduated at the South Carolina College with
the class Of 1919, and after teaching school for;
two years he married Miss Virginia Smith, y
sister Of Mr. ". Joel Smith of Abbeville, and
settled on the Stony Point farm in 1852, which; .;
place lie still owns and cnltivatcs. He was
successful farmer, the best evidence of Which
is furnished in the fact thut he supported J
comfortably and highly educated large fam.
lily of children from the profits in agriculture.
During the time that he was farmer, he edit.
ed either the RurdI CuroLinidn, or the Agricul-
tural Department OF the Neus and Courier. =
soon after the war he bought dwelling In
Cokesbury where he now resides. In 1851 be
volunteered as a private In theSeventh South
Carolina Regiment, but was appointed Adju-
tant of the command. AT the reorganiZatt0n<
Of the Regiment in the spring OF 1862, MI. :
ing Colonel Bacon. In September, 1882 while,
calamity commanding his Regiment at Har-'
pcr's Ferry, in the battle Of Antietam, where,
the Con Moderate, forces won a most signal VIC
| tory, Colonel Aiken received wound through
the body, which was deemed mortal. Being
unable for duty, with. no prospect OF ever re-,
covering, I've was discharged from the service,
! when he returned to his family, to receive;
their care and attentOn!' After, long and
painful illness, he reIalned somewhat or his
former strength. and the people, appreciating;
his gallantry in the army, and needing his.
services in the Legislature, elected him to rep
thoO in that hO6y In lSA. He
again elected to the same trust in 1868, and IN
lSb7 distinguished himself by his able and Wig
orouS opposition to Il tax measure then before
the House, and which afterwards became a,
law, levying a tax of ten per cent. ON the gross
sales that may have been made by'whiskey
dealers, as we'll as taxing the gross incomes OF
hotel keepers and other business occupations
In q like manner. The act was retroactive
and threatened ruin to people in all parts Of
the state. Owing to the anomalous condition
OF affairs, when the courts were paralyzed, CIT
liens had no other help than IN an appeal for.
relief to General Candy which he grantee, !,
through the strong arn:Of the military that
suspended the threatened collection OF a'taN
| that would have ruined all classes or citizens
| upon whom this heavy levy fell. :: .i'' :
Colonel Aiken was Master of the State,
! Grange for two years and was Pres
ident of the AbbeviIle. Agricultural Socie-
ty for several years, and under his manage
ment we had some Of the most excellent ex-
hibtions that were ever seen In any county
! He has always been distinguished for his pro-
Eounced Democratic principles and was DEL
egaie to the National Convention at st; LOUIS
in 1876 which nominated Tilden and Hen
bricks for President and Fice-President. Ow-
ing to his energy and courage to do the right
under any and all circumstances he was chos.t
en- as the Democratic Congressional standard.
bearer in the historic campaign OF 1876, anG-
no man contributed more to the glorious VIC
tory of that year than did D. Wyatt Aiken.'
In those days of darkness and gloom, 1t was
difficult to get smita6le candidates lor tne aii.
f.r offipps Tho DnmOrrnpV was IN SUCH q
hopeless minority, and bad so often suffered
defeat that few men cared TO be made targets
The Democratic Club at Abbeville on the mo-
tiOn of Hon. a. Burt, than whom none were
more wise or sagacious, gave Colonel Aiken h
| unanimous call to the position OF C8ngres-
slOnal leader OF the torlorn hope, !hls noml-'
nation was q surprise to Colonel Aiken. He
| had not expected it, but he readil ly accepted
| the position, and went to work with more en-
er.y and bOldness than any man III our Dis
| trict, carrying discontinue, discouragement
and final defeat to Chamberlain ana MS crew.
He was appointed to reply to Governor Cham
berain at u mass meeting Of citizens on Se'
ccsSon Hill at AbbevilIe on Big, Tuesday,.
| Chamberlain and his associates abandoned
the canvass after that day and returned TO-
Columbia by the next train, and never again
appeared in public to discuss State politics.
| In 1873, he was reelected over StOlbrand,
the Republican candidate by majority OF
nearly twenty thousand votes at the general
election. Colonel Aiken has been his own
successor ever since, until now he lays down
the Congressional duties after having served
his constituency for ten years as faithfully
| ;s any man ever served any people! When
he entered Congress the horse mails (the STAR
routpS) in Abbcville county had been discon-
tinucd for many years, and the people were
con, PEELED to go to the railroad towns Tor
their mails. lie set 10 work at once. and the
country mails which we now have IS the re-
suit OF his abnrS {,
Colonel Aiken was treated with distin-
guishcd consideration in Washington. He
Wns Chairman of the Committee Oh Educ;.-.
ton. and held the second place on the Com
4, rir n bJ1 ShOn1I have been .