The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-02-15
BUILDERS OR DESTR0YERS.
They Determine the Destiny of the
Community I'm Which They Live.

They Determine the Destiny OF the
Community I'm Which They Live.
In every community are two classes,
constructionists and destructionists.
One builds; the other destroys. One
is the element of progress the other
Of stagnation. The predominaDce of
one or the other determines the char
acter and fixes the destiny of the COM
munity. The destroyers have much
the lightest job. Building is difficult !;
pulling down easy. The temple of
Diana was years in building; fool
destroyed it in a night. A cow kick ed
over lamp and destroyed Chicago.
Every educational institution, every
public Improvement it contains is a
monument to the signal triumph of
public spirit, and the result of some
fierce struggle between enterprise and
obstruction.
WE CANNOT LIVE UPON ANCESTRAL
CONDITIONS.
But neither this community nor
any other can live upon ancestral
traditions. 1t cannot exist forever up
on the glory of its fathers, or the fruits
of their labor. 1t must do something
itself. Poverty is a spur to exertion.
Our fathers were not blessed with the
prosperity of these days, and they
built for the future. It is in one sense
a misfortune that this community has
inherited the results of their efforts,
and too many have become lethargic
and indifferent.on account of it. For
merly when an enterprise was inaugu-
rated all usually joined with enthusiasm
and unity to push it forward. Now a
moment in the public interest is often
bitterly fought. Selfish interests, per-
sonal jealousies and business rivalries
thrust themselves intoit, and tis well
night impossible to carry it to success.
The public must.be sacrificed If there.
by to some one inures private benefit,
and as it is impossible to have any
public enterprise that does not benfit
some Individual, the public must suf.
fer at the behest of private prejudice
and spite. Shall this spirit be permit,
ted to prevail?
GETTING INTO OFFICE BY ATTACKING
EXISTING CONDITIONS.
There is no denying that with many
pulling down is popular. Men get in
to office by attacking existing condi'
tions, appealing to popular prejudice
and posing as advocates of economy
It is otter easier to get office by this
kind of demagoguery than by advocat'
ing progress. The man who will OBJ
tain office by such methods is danger
GUS. His affected interest in the peo.
pie is wholly spurious. BE will pull
them down and sell them out az quick
ly as he will anything else. His busi
ness is to destroy and he hurts evey'
thing to touches. It is great pity
that the people so often allow them
selves to be thus hoodwinked. We
live in an age of progress, and who
soever stands in its path is an enemy
to the race. Follow him and we
would return to the days of barbarism
In this age Of churches and schools
and public Improvements we are de-
monstrating the wisdom and fnlilling
the command of holy writ, to live fol
our neighbors, and he who does not sc
is at war with God and man, an an
achronism, misfit, a fraud. and
merits, as he generally receives uni
versal contempt.
NECESSITY FOR FIRST CLASS FUNER'
People in too many communities
waste their time making faces. They
will wreck their own interests to in
lure some one else. They permit every
and jealousy to blind their judgments
and dominate their actions. To build
up a town people must pull together
not pull down. In private business
they may compete. In the public
business they must cooperate. Any
other policy is silly and suicidal, and
Is the evidence of small mind. New
communities stand together better
than old ones, in which are animosi-
ties of long standing, social and pro.
fessional rivalries, and deep seated
grudges. Hence the older residents
very frequently become bigoted and
stubborn and mean, and first class
funerals become public blessings. A
man who has grown inperious and
prosperous of community until he
cares nothing for it, and stands in the
way of its progress can serve it in no
other way 30 we'll as by getting out OF
it.
ARRAYING THE POOR AGAINST THE
One of the favorite methods of pull
ing down is that of appealing to the
prejudice of the poor against those
who have property. The demagogue
is a great iconoclast. He can do more
in day towards destroying than half
of a community can do in month
toward building: Unfortunately
many are susceptible to these appeals
when artfully made. There is no
more dangerous member CT the COM
munity than he who would thus ar.
ray those against each other, whose
interests are Identical. It is only in q
community where business men are
prosperous that labor can get employ
ment, that money ia plentiful, and
wages satisfactory. Suppose we had a
half dozen manufactures giving en-
ployment to hundreds, perhaps thous-
ands of our people. Would that be to
the injury of the very many, male
and female, who are now idle among
US, anxious for employment? Are
the proprietors of such establishments
public enemies? There are those who
attack our schools, and would arouse
prejudice against them because they
employ cultivated men at what are
declared to be exorbitant salaries. He
who would excite prejudice against
our schools is public enemy.
A COMMUNITY THAT IS OWNED BY
ANY SET OF MEN, sURRENDERs