The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-09-01
Shall the Many be Oppressed for the
Benefit OF the Fcw.--Thc Railroad
Si;uafion Mt Due West.

Benefit OF the Fcw---Thc Railroad
Situation at Due West.
! tits natural for every community, whether
4 rural settlement or an incorr0rntcd town
/ with its superior advantages, both literary
and social, to make Surh imprmw"im"mi,,S aS Gr
the citizens and the widest dissemination OF
evangelical doctrines. This principle is one
OF universal practice 1t Is ono OF inc uccp.
rooted and incradicablc prorcnSiticS OF our
nature. The savage in his untutorcd state,
! without single ray of divine light, wlthout
even Il thought of the one 0nniSccnt ana
omnipo ent creator of the universe, practices
it, nis different plans and schemes may be
| without that element so essential TO success,
system yet they are types or representations
OF his idea of such things. Ihey portray 10
It's ut once his mental or Subjective state they
are his natural p:OclirltirS expressed IN Inc
| form of vOIitionS.
| Incorporated villages, rs q rule, are more
concerned about things OF this kind, especial
, IL the construction OF railroads, than unmo'
Tested rural vicinities y poSt-otticc with TWO
or three stores must he Incorporated by Il
special act of the Legislature; next town
! council must he elected, the inevitable conse-
oucnce of which is an abolninablc town lax
to buy useless street lamps, etc; and finnlly the
iron monster with his extended tai must
/ comc putting through her limits, the ineviia
/ BILE consequences of which are groS shop,
police and Il calabOOSc. The Town is now COM
plrtc; no other improvement can increase lis
happiness, the race is rnn-the goal reachcu.
! The railroad question has been agitatrd in
! the quiet town OF Due West for three or four
years. Different methods have been suggest
! ell by the fiIr-Sccing and Staunch citizens OF
the '.NthenS OF South Carolina but thus far,
! all in vain Different companies have en-.
deavored to appraSe the tumut Of excitement
! by gratifying her citizens with the constant
/ visits Of the locomotive, but with the same
| lamentablc result. Speeches from men whose
! literary fame Is all but universal, from men
whose moral integrity is isunimpcachable, have
been delivered at different places in behalf OF
! Z l,i., MI, ,lnlN- In II.
not only unprnlifc, but even detrimental TO
, the widespread reputation of some OF her llt-
erary gcniuScs and polished orators We'll 90
we remember the excitement that prevailed
four years ago wien the engineer was survey
ing the path or that ever welcomed visitor.
Time-beaicn and tmc-honOrcu men, whose
hOary hairs gave unmiStakaolc testimony Oh
| the nearncss of their final departure, were atj-
parcntly transported into the rigor Of youth.
The whole town was ina general uproar. The
spot tor the depot was abou dCc!.cu. Every
thing WAS moving harmoniCUSiy; Ii was al
most possible to see the GItL flying from the
hills, to hear the rurlhling sound OF the mid
night traveller The excitement prevailed
not only among the citizens but also among
| the young lnvn of the College, the disease was
contagious. They looked forward with much
anxiety to the consummation OF that work
! the anticipated result Of which would be the
| constant increase OF the town until she would
eventually reach the limits OF some grand,
and as yet unknown metropolis!
! But sad to say, "erery sunshine mas It's
! shadow" and 50 1t WAS with the frSt at-
tempt TO get Il railroad. The excitement con-
, tinucd for some time but finally passed away,
as Il cloud before the Splcndor of the sun, TO
be heard of, and talked OF no more. Inc
only memorial cNtant of that unsuccessful
attempt is Il mark on a certain tree in town
cut by TIC engineer and claimed to represent
'.sca level"
close contest between the railroad ana
anti-railroad parties no later than last year;
Every one is familiar with tie event and
! therefore ii needs but little commentator.
Speeches were made on that occasion by her
leading citizens. Meetings to discuss this all
important question were held not only IN the
town but in the surrounding country. Men
OF every class and profession participated IN
cause, others to dccry it. Eloquent speeches
were made In Lindsay Hall in behalf Of this
pregnant step. Due West, with All her forces
was compared to the little "bcliserent animal
that voluntarily offered battle to the ap-
| preaching locomotives" The waving slopes
of Georgia. in the vicinity of Dorarille. which
once would hardly "Sprout peas and which
: could easily have been purchased for almost
nothing. but now. ,.pwing TO the construction
of the Air Line Road can hardly he bought al
any price, was said to be u fac Siniic OF her
could devise to "disarm prejudice, anu call
! into play the sober reason and calm juuS
mcnt of man" was used on that occasion.
{ But alas the whole aft air was but asa bubble
I that rises, bursts, and is seen no more!
Truly due West has done her duty in trying
! to get railroad. But has She ever viewed
the subjcct in the right light? Does she real.
il need one? Will a railroad he beneficial 10
! the town? Without the slightest degree OF
! dclibcratOn IL fair and impartial decision ne
ccssilatcS Il negative answer. THIS place Is
not an agricultural but literary seat. AT
least one halt, If not more, OF her citizens are
! dependent either directly or indirectly on the
Scininarics Of learning, established there, Tor
their means of subsistence. The SeminaiieS
of LEARNING a lrnpuIpnt liiprflV the
patronage OF their many and highly esteemed
friends. Tie many friends patronize the in
situations, sacrifice themselves and their
: money to send their sons and daughters there
because 1t is Il mOrnl pacc-a place "Erec from
! the many temptations and allulemcnts which
! btset the young man when away from the
Christian influences Of Il piUuS father and
! loving mothcr-a place free from the grog
shop, free from spark ling wine and intoNicat-
ing liquors! The catalogue of the College
! itspL says the location is high and healthy,
| the population around moral and correct: the
| temptations to vice and crime arc few COM
pared with those that exist in large towns and
Cities Such the citizens claim 10 he; such
in fact they are; and we can only say,
thanks be unto God that such is the case"
Give them q railroad and you give them
thOrnS and thStleS-you give them Vice In
! every shape and form. Establish depot in
their midst and yOu establish a grog shop I;
you dissemmnatc the seeds of vice and cor
ruption; You subject our young men to temp
tatinns and allurcmcntS equal in every re.
| spcct to those of "largc towns and cities y
Throw such temptations before our young
! lncn and you will place our institutions ulon
! the plane of moral and religious equality
with those of larger places. Do this and the
! inevitable consequence will be II decrease OF
attendants. Decrease the number of pupils
and YOU not only weaken and probably close,
! the Colleges. but you deprive One-half of the
citizens of thcirprcScnt means of subsistence
We admit that Il railroad would benefit her
merchants, but we do not admit that they are
suffering for such Il step.
! The decision then can bC reached by an
Swcring the following question: Would II be
J better TO benefit Il fnw mcrclIan ts and diScom-
mode onn-half of her citizens, or ricc r"rS0 :?
, Answer this fairly and imlmrtally and you
will have decided the question at issue.
|