The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-02-15

movements it is impossible to hope for
their success. And it is equally wrong
to impute to every man who labors in
the public interest selfish purpose.
There are plenty of men in every COM
munity who will contribute their means
time and labor for the public benefit
without any selfish purpose in view,
and there are others who will 60 about
impugning the motives and counteract-
ing the efforts of those who would
public. Should we not rather encour-
ge the public spirited, give him bene-
fit of sincere and honorable intention,
instead of decrying and defaming him ?
THE FUTURE DEPENDS UPON THE Sue
CESS OF THE BUILDERS.
What would this country be to-day
but for its public spirited men? 1t is
exceedingly fortunate in that its pub
lie LEADERS in the past were builders
and not destroyers. What would it
have been if those who fought them
had succeeded? The future of this
town and county depends upon the
ability of the builders to overcome the
destroyers. Can we do it? Or shall
we surrender to selfisbnesS and
demagoguery and obstruction? The
only way to treat people who stand in
the way of progress is to run over
them, and this is not hard to do. The
man who fights enterprise Is never
formidable. Selfishness and littleness
are easily vanquished. There Is too
much at stake to let them stand in the
way. Those who have business inter-
ests, who are concerned in the pros
perity and happiness of the commun.
| ity, cannot afford it. Run over them.
PUBLIC OFFICERS MAY MAKE MIS-
TAKES, BUT WE SHOULD BE
MERcIFUL.
Nor is it the part of the public
spirited citizen to be perpetuaIly
assailing public officials who are honest
ly endeavoring' to do their duty in the
way of pnblic improvements. Doubt
less they make mistakes, but as rule
they do the best they can, which is
about as we'll as the average man
would do in their place. Blunders
have occurred but the town is in better
condition than if it had no streets; it
has reason to be, and is proud Of its
splendid streets, superior to those of
any other town. Why not stop this
decrying of every public movement ?
THE WORK WHICH DEsTROYERs MAY
| DO.
Builders and drstroyers are not con-
fined to matters material. They are
in other spheres. Education is con-
struction; ignorance is destruction.
Morality is building up; immortality
is pulling down. Honesty, liberality,
charity are upon the side of help and
benefit, dishonesty. crime, avarice,
meanness are in the work of injury.
Every man is either upon one side or
the other. He. is either building or
destroying. He cannot occupy an
equivocal or negative position. If he
is not for the pnblic good he IL against
it, for it requires afflrmativeness and
aggression to build. Sitting still and
doing nothing is letting the world 60
to ruin. Allowing house to burn /.
as much arson as applying the torch.
The man who Is Indifferent to the
public interest, who wraps himself in
cloak of selfishness, is doing as much
harm as he who makes direct war up
on progress. There are very many IN
this class. But no man has right to
sit still and receive the benefit of socie.
ty without contributing to its advance.
ment. Itis as much his duty to help
society as to help his family or himself.
Nor can any man long prosper who
thus withholds his just and rightful
duty from the pub ic. The people
soon leave him, and they will neither
patronize nor respect him. Much as
the progressive and public spirited
man may be criticized and misunder-
stood, the people honor him, and no
work that he does for himself will
bring as much to him as that which
he does for others.
WHEN A MAN is BIGGER AND
HAPPIER.
Then there is higher view than all
in this helping to build, this living for
others. It makes a man bigger and
happier. He will grow hereby men.
tally, morally, and financially. The
process of selfishness is shriveling
that of unselfishness broadening. A
man must have a limited soul who
cares nothing for the esteem and hon
or of his fellowmen. That life is very
empty which lives only to itself.
Who in the community in which we
live are those whose names are pre-
served and whose memories are cher.
ished? l. it not those who did some
thing for the public, who made some
contribution to the welfare of man
kind? Who among those now living
will be remembered with gratitude
and honor? Will it be those who
permit their selfishness to dominate
all they do, who are full of envy and
Jealousy, who oppose every public
enterprise. who are famed for their
uncharitableness and bitterness, who
are always hurting and never helping,
or will it be those, who however, hum
BILE and feeble they may be, are doing
what they can for the material, intel
lectual or moral advancement of the
world in which they live?
BEFORE WE GO TO THE SILENT CITY
WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING FOR
| THOSE WE LEAVE BEHIND.