The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-01-22
"a DESERTED
And How 1t Could Have Been
savcd-Poiitics- The sus-
pected Ants.

So far as 1 have been able to observe
no two or three dozen or hundred cap.
italists have been suddenly seized with
the desire to build factories in a town
to all appearances wrapt in slumber
and whose people don't a a flip for
is an enterprising town (only a few
hours ago L heard q gentleman refer
ring to 1t and Greenville and Spartan
burg as the pushing places of the up
country, and Laurens' riends are con-
fident that many Northern Mill owners
are likely to put upon Laurens as an
admirable town to spin cotton In.
By the way, | am acquainted with a
town which eight or ten years ago en-
icyed a real boom. The population
doubled every twelve months. Town
lots trebled in value while breakfast was
waiting and everybody in that beauti-
full, smiling lovely place was happy, oh,
so happy! And day by day and hour by
hour they grew happier while more
railroads and more trains and a vast
deal more business came and the gleam
of dollars was everywhere. In that
town ere no poor peoples; carpenters,
shoe makers and tinkers and all others
throve and fattened. But strange to
factories were builded. After five or
six years the boom in q slow, sad way
began to settle. Smiles were seen
to sicken on the cheeriest faces
Men who had been wearing raiment
OF h "richest" beganto have their old
buds dyed. Soon q vacant store-room
like an empty coffin with an end
knocked out presented itselfto the gaze
of passers by and then another and
another and another. Iknew a citizen
of that town who owned q house which
wa Iu0rfh 40 0l0 onl fhof yunc rn in
lated or artificial price. The house
should bring it to-day but the owner
can't get over $12, 900. He has lost q
great round thousand and all of his
neighbOrs, because their town has not
only failed to maintain it's prosperity
but has lost money and pluck, have suf-
fered in the same way. For this dis
c~Ouraging condition of affairs no no.
cessary cause has existed and the iden-
tical experience would have been visit
ed upon other towns OF the same section
of the State had they not foreseen it
and prevented it by establishing indus
tries,-mills, factories and foundries,
although the effort wrung the nerves of
their men Of means. They came to
the scratch, frightened, trembling,
some of them looking as they thought
for the last time on their hard earned
dollars, but they saved themselves and
heir town.
In the languishing town that 1 speak
OF $l5O,OOO has been lost by the actual
fall in values of real estate. Had this
money been put into O cotton mill the
values would not have been decreased,
in all probability they would have been
heightened and a mighty stimulus
would have been given to other enter
prises. The cotton mill would have cost
the town not n cent. 1t is not too
late to build the mill even now and
until the town does something it must
go on losing and waltzing to the rear.
After awhile it will be owned by two or
three men who will ~foreclose their
mortgages on property which will yield
them an average of two or may be four
cent.
The movement of the Northern Cot
ton mills to the South, so long and con-
fidently predicted, has set in. An avel-
anche of Northern capital has started.
1t is almost upon us. Will it strike
Laurens? And what is Laurens doing
to get in its way? Or will Laurens be
content to be passed by?
Politically it is believed that some
thing is on foot. Tuesday night seve-
raj prominent -Tilfman leaders
were in the city and it is supposed that
they held a caucus. The reporters
were not let into the secrets. 1t is not
certain that they held q meeting but
if they did not it is singular that these
same time. 1t may be assumed how
ever that the Ants If they arc not
utterly. whipped and routed will do
something before the new registration
provided for begins in March. That is
when much of the political work of
the year must be done if done at all.
II the Ants early in the spring Of
N~lnety-four had perfected an organiza-
tion and gathered their strength to-
gether, reason might have been ample
for the straightout fight SO ~stoutly
urged by many leaders late in the fall.
If the bugle call is sounded now and
good men given an opportunity to unite,
the hope of winning the control of the
Constitutional Convention is far from
slight. II possible q fight over this
Convention should be avoided. If any
honorable compromise between the
the two factions can be agreed upon
no patriot should stand in its way. 1t
will be an evil thing for all the peo-
pie If after q tempestuOus campaign the
convention must be composed of rash,
impetuous and selfish partisans. But
to my mind it is impossible to escape a
contest. The leading organ of the ex-
IRENE Tillmanites, for the ever flowing
mendacity of which even the politicians
inspiring it possess a scarce concealed
contempt, is already. calling upon the
1fef6rmers to clinch the work of the
past four years by sending only stall
wart members of their faction as dele
gates. This State is bossed by a small
clique of politicians, lit contains four
MEMBERS whose policy is to crush op-
position, to triumph by any and all
methods, to know neither good faith,
fair-dealing or honor with follower or
foe and h understand that only amid
confusion and political disruption is
there place for them in public affairs.
Until these mon are beaten and driven
out of public life, all talk of white
unity, reconciliation and good feeling
Is idle. 1t is a waste of breath. Peace
means their defeat and they know it..
1t is absurd to dream that they, hold
ing. as they do the State by the throat,
will deliberately turn out of their
course to follow another which would
end their careers in merited humilia-
ton and disgrace. They have not
even q distant acquaintance with con-
science.
1t Is before the Anti-Tillmanites to
fuse with such Tillmanite leaders as
are not lost to political principle and
and join battle with the forces OF the
four bosses. Or it is with them to fight
alone. Or 1t is with them to surren-