The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-12-24

Surprise has been expressed here
regarding the attitude Of certain
Charleston merchants toward the up
country, as indicated in a communion
tion sent to the News and Courier un-
der date of Dec. 13, 1902. 1t is not
for us to pass judgment ON the merits
or dement's of the case as made out
by Charleston business men against
the Southern Railway, or to say wheth-
or they did or did not prove that the
Southern Railway had Disseminated
against that port. Nor is it in our
province to say that the report of the
hearing before the State Railroad
Commission, as published in the News
and Courier, was fair or erroneous.
Exception, however, was s'taken to that
report by some of the business men
present at the hearing, but what pro-
portion of those present does not ap-
pear, on the ground that the editor of
the News and Courier was Director
of the Southern Railway Co., and
that, therefore, the policy Of tho pa
per was controlled by an officer OF the
Southern. Mr.. Hemphill, in strong
editorial, declared he was not and had
not been Director of the Road for
many months. To our mind this
statement of Editor Hemphill is sufi-
cient.
The whole controversy is amusing,
for to even the casual reader it is
plain that for long time the interests
of Charleston have dominated the
News and Courier to it's great injury
as the leading paper in tho State. If
this accusation against Editor Hemp
hill, made by the business men Of
Charleston in their letter above re-
ferred to, wsc all therein we would
have passed it by without comment.
But speaking of the early morning
train from Charleston to the up-coun-
try, they clearly imply that they do
not want any closer train or trade re-
lations with the merchants in this part
of the State; and, further, they do
not want the up-country, or the News
and Courier, either, to receive the
benefits of improved railroad facil-
ties. The Southcrn's new train not
only delivers the News and Courier at
u much earlier hour than heretofore,
but IL also affords our business men
and the general public an opportunity
to get into closer touch with the other
sections Of the State, Charleston in
ciudcd. That the scrvicc is an i'm
provcment is apparent to every man
IN the up country, nc least. We de-
serve as much in Anderson, and we
appreciate every such Improvement.
AT the same time, however, we regard
the attitude Of the men in Charleston
who signed that letter to the News
and Courier to mean that they do not
desire to be put in closer communica-
tion with this thriving Piedmont sec.
tion.
We would do the people of Charles
ton gross injustice if we went SO far
as to believe the unanimous scntiment
of that city was expressed in the com
munication signed by thirty-two bus
iness men, whose charge against the
editor of the News and Courier was
shown to be entirely unfounded, and
we frankly say we do not so believe.
But we do say that it is due to the
people of this section of the State for
Charleston to speak out and explain
whether the communication of the
thirty-two business men to the News
and Courier expressed the feelings and
desires Of the mass Of its citizens.
In this, at least, we feel o deep inter-