Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1892-04-14
TWILL BE FARCICAL.
A Chance for john Haskell, j. C.
Hemphill, Kirby Tupper, and
A. b. Williams to Distin-
guish Themselves.

The fight with the Coosaw Com.
pany is not over by any means
The State has gained a glorious
victory over the mightiest corpora.
ton within its borders. The last
court of appeal has decided that
the octopus claim to a perpetual
right to enjoy the rich deposits in
Coosaw river is all moonshine and
water, and without any foundation
in fact. This is the first act of the
drama and it was filled with tragic
possibilities for the State. Some
of the ablest lawyers in the State
struggled hard to put the hoof of
a corporation on the neck of South
Carolina. and to keep her forever
from the enj ,yment of her own
riches. They have failed and the
State has won great victory for
which the people should rejoice.
The second &C. of the drama is
about to open, for the "between
acts will be short, and though it
will be as serious a, the first there
will be some features and incidents
in it that will be exceedingly
amusing and comical except to
those who will act the leading
roles.
The opposition papers have held
up the administration as worthy
of deposition and scorn because it
dared to tackle this great and
powerful monster that had thrown
its long, Shiny arms out over the
richest spot in South Carolina,
that did not belong to it, and
threatened to hold it forever and
a day. Their most plausible ar
gument and the one thing paraded
most was some fanciful theory of
theirs that the State wa losing
money by the suit. The State lost
no money, and even if it had the
people would rather lose money
than tamely submit to the dicta-
ton of any corporation, however
powerful.
sBpt the State lost no money.
The CoosaWi company has out
standing three separate bonds for
$4,000. The first is the one filed
annually since 1875 and is con-
ditioned for faithful discharge
of the obligations arising unde
that act. The second bond of $780,
900 was given when the Coosaw
Company secured an injunction
forbidding the State from entering
ITS own territory, and is condi-
toned for payment of costs, etc.,
all damages that the State may
sustain by having been kept out
of the territory, provided the
courts decided that it had the right
to enter therein. This bond is
signed by men of wealth and is
held to be very strong. Under this
bond the State will bring suit for
costs in the case and damages it
has sustained IN the case.
Right here come in the comical
possibilities. Will it not be a rich,
rich sight to see A. B. Williams,
]. C. Hemphill, John G. Haskell
and Kirby S. Tupper on the stand
testifying against the interests of
their friends and to the strength
ening of the administration that
they SO bitterly oppose and fight?
For once the wise have overreached
themselves.
What better evidence can be
wanted of the damage that the
State has sustained than is afforded
by the files of the News and Cou-
rier and the Greenville News, or
the speeches of Kirby Tupper and
John Haskell in the House, es-
pecially that memorably bitter and
caustic speech of John Haskell at
the last session of the Legislature?
What will these gentlemen do
when brought to the witness stand?
Will they Miggle and squirm OF
will they reafirm what they have
so often stated, that the State has
lost $125,O0O? If the State has
been damaged to that extent, and
these gentlemen say it has, will
not the Coosaw Company have "to
pay the freight? 1t will be an
awkward position for these gentle
men to be made to testify to things
that they have uttered in other
spirit and for other motives. II