The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-08-02
lRY Or THE SOUTH
r Progress and Her Pos
sibilities.
|ddress Of Col. S. H. Hardwick Before the
South Carolina Press Association.

! WreSt from the South her dearest
rights, but have never cherish he'd to-
ward them bitter or vinidctive feeling
and have never seen the day L did moi
pray for them."
Was ever so grand and pure a pat.
riot born to any other country? Leav-
ing us also this heritage of no nsection.
alism. Surely the South has tried
hard also to give heed to that.
Lee saw the need that the South had
of her sons in that day of darkness
and discouragement,a and many son
would have been robbed of his reso-
luteness had not Lee uttered these
words.
81 think the South requires the aid
of her sons now more than ut any per-
iod." So the immortal Lee said and
did, and so the sons of the South said
and did, because of Lee. His words and
his example were in the impetus
which gave irresistible force to the
progress of the South's development
which we witness TODAY.
What the South has Done.
Glance back ward for a moment and
see what the extremity of that need
was. Think of the South in the days
when the great Lee spoke these words,
with practically no railroad system;
all destroyed, and wreckage all that
was left.
Come quicb ly along the intervening
years, and let JUS give thanks and re-
joice ever anew that we had 80 great
and so wise leader as Lee. Think of
the magnificent work of the sons of the
South who began Immediately tten to
bring order out of chaos. Consider
what splendid rewards the South has
given to her sons so far, and look into
the horizon Of the future of the South
and see that it has absolutely no limi-
tation set by the Almighty barring its
further progress and developement:
and 1, for one, do not believe He in-
tends any such barrier to be thus sci
by prejudicial and harmful national
legislation, or otherwise. So that the
South, while blessing all those who
are now within her border, is ready
to, with all cordiality, welcome all
others who will thus come with us to
assist in her developement.
See the glorious Southland blossom
ing today as rose and abounding in
rich developement of mines and man
ufacture, and her fields yielding super
abundant crops. 1.-The Man with the
Hoe," as typified by Edwin Markham.
has been practically eliminated from
the South, and has been succeeded by
the man with the modern cultivator.
The whirl of thousand of spindles of
the South is fast overcoming the hum
of such machinary in other sections
The lights of the miners lamps in the
South ale as multitudinous as fire6ies
on summers evening. The eXten-
sion of railroads, by construction of
new lines and development of older
ones, is one of the greatest activities
Of the whole country today. Mark
that the railway transportation Of the
South today is not surpassed by that
of any other section, and, indeed, is
equaled by few. Think where the
South would be today without her
railways. And yet we know that
while the South is now coming into
her own, the story is but begun.
While it was and is the first duty Of
the sons of the South to respond to the
requirements of the South, these re-
aulrements, as was plainly pointed out
Oy our immortal leader, were aud are
also to make the South q place of
worthy and attractive residence for all
right minded and patriotic people
from all other parts of this country
and from the whole world. So that
we should always bear that part of
Lees admOnition also in mind-to
prepare and to invite and to make well
come all good people from wheresoever
they may come, TO join with MS IN
meeting ,all the requirements of the
South, and sharing with us her won
perful and countless blessings.
! The South indeed hath need of her
sons. While all of her sons have in
the main been true to her, TO my mind
the particularly important factors
which have thus far made for the
marvellous material, development of
the South are the men of the press of
the South, including chiefly the press
Of South Carolina-you men who have
labored so faithfully and patriotically;
then the farmers, who have toiled SO
long under such hard conditions, but
which, thank God, have recently be-
gun to be greatly ameliorated, and
which certainly will continue to i'm.
prove; then the railroads.
Think Of the wonderful improve
ments the railroads have made, and
consider that the chief officers OF
ut arly every railroad in the South
have been all along and are yet the
sons of the South. And think how
the railroads have led the way in the
in the progress and development of tie
South.
How, then, commerce, mining, man
ufacturiDg, and all other diversified
activities have wrought such mira
cles.
This is not to say that the press ol
farming, or commerce, or manufactnr
ing, or mining, or railroadipg, or any
other agency for good has been allow
ed to be sectional, because it is fac
that in these great fields additions L
the forces have come from every sec
,ion of this great country, and from
every section of this great country
and from abroad; but it is said to glo
ry in the fact that all along thes'
> great factors have been in great par
manned by the sons of the South; ant
it is furthur to say, with perhaps ever
greater glory, that all such who hav
come within the borders to cast thei
fortunes with us, have likewise be
come sons of the South and have full.
= rooooni1aS tbot tho SoI1t IN hath peat