The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-10-07

Judge Hudson was the orator or Inc DAY
last Thureday at the laying Of the Corner
Stones OF the'New Court House and the City
Hall. His address was delivered Ia the Court
room which could seat only a fraction Of
! the multitude who had come to do honor TO
the occasion,
Everybody honors Judge Hudson both for
his good hesd and his good heart. He has
now reached bis nth year, and after a useful
and good life for all this time he is entitled
10 the highest regard from all the people.
We did not hear his speech, but we learn
that from an old mans standpoint 1t was
perfectly orthodox and, we know that he was
perfectly sincere in all that he said.
But from the standpoint Of a citizen Of
this generation we would dissent from
some things that he said, or least would
lead us TO believe. He thought the former
days were better than these and that the
men Of former times were better than the
men OF today.
1t is true. while exalting the men OF for-
mer times, that he patronized us a little and
would give us q cheering word in hope that
we might at least become good and useful
citizens.
Judge Hudson followed very much along
the lines that had been blazed out by nearly
all the speaker " no have come from a dis
lance to address US. He eulogized the great
men that Abbeville produced In the dim
past, generally beginning with Calhoun and
coming down the string until the names OF
all OF our distinguished and honored klns-
men we're added TO the tail OF the kite.
Speeches in eulogy Of our distinguished
and beloved dead are greatly enjoyed for'
say, fifty or sixty times, but after that we DO
not listen with 80 much zest: When we have
heard such speeches for q hundred times
they become long haired chestnuts.
This ediior belongs to that variety Of men
who do not believe that the former Times
| we're better than these. dor do We believe
that the men Of former years we're better than
the men Of today, except Of course IN the
Instance where the descendents are running
OUT.
What man of this day is not as great and
az good as was his father Except where
tho descendents OF great men aspire to be
pigmles, where will you find a community
OF men who are inferious to their ancestors
While It 10 true that all people TO be any
thing must nave histories and monuments,
vet II ID also true that men OF merit are sell
dom ancestral worshippers.
What did the great men OF Abbeville, or
South Carolina do for rs In former times?
Did they build splendid school houset7
Did. they furnish schools for the people?
Did they build elegant churches and wei
come poor people into their pews7 Did
they build railroads? Did they give US tele-
graphs, Did they give US elactrio lights anu
telephones7 Were they not rich. and DID
they not ride in carriages drawn by me
horses? while poor folks walked. when the
devil caught the hindmost.
Did they build monuments TO the mep
who fought for freedom and gave W. the DIST
government the world ever q No. DID
they write great histories OF the men VINO
commanded them? Yes. And we know
little else about the great revolution. we
hear much OF the great men before the war
whose great work was TO further rl'e' tne
shackles Of slavery.
Bnt what do we hear OF their work IN
crowding our forefathers out OF the land OF
their birth that more room could be had for
their slavet? II WIS our forefathers that
fought the revolution, but when the slaves
'pcreased In number our fathers had to
"move on" and 30 It was there were few men
left to fight our battles In the Confederate
war.
II this is not true, why Is IL that there are
better lands than are TO be found In the In
habited parts Of Anderson, worth about one
fifth of the lands Of Anderson which we're
OF affIictedby such great names az We
ave produced7
Why is 1t that, in q hundred years under
the system OF slavery, we made less progress
in building churches and school houses thar
the freed negroes Of this county have
made In thirty years?
II there is q county in the state that
should despise the rule that oppressed the
poor before the war, Abbeville Is that county.
It is not In the heart ofthis editor 10 glorify.
the act which sent our forefathers TO the
| West, and which act has resulted In the
laying waste the fairest and the best po!-
ton OF Abbsville County.
When did our distin pushed and mighty
ancestors build such q theatre or such q
court house as MCMILLAN and Nlckles have
bought for Us?
When ibid our great and mighty dead
build such chu. ches as we have built and IN
which We may worship the Author OF our
being ?
Is 1t not an insult TO the manhood OF today
to proclaim that our ancestors were greater
or had more public spirit than their descen-
dents who nave done 80 much more for
Christianity and good government
Has not this generation been busy develop
Ing the waste places made isolate by the
extensive holdings Of our great and mighty
dead?
Who led this people into q suicidal war
that shook this continent and filled the land
with the blood OF the best q that
ever faced a foe2 The fact is that no better
soldiers ever went to war.
Our leaders before Secession led us 10 q war
that swept our country as q bosom OF .destruc-
ton, a war thai niled the land with w1d.
ows and orphans, q war that impoverished
the country. =
SInceth war our leaders have led as along
the paths OF peace to prosperity and TO higher
civilization than was known before the war
The success OF these leaders verihes the truth
that peace hath hervictories no less renowned
than of war. Then let US look plore to
the rising sun than to the settipgsun.
Where is the monument 10 the gallant IN.
known dead who went to Mexico. /
Their names are scarcely recorded; while
the story OF the more fortunate Is told In
story and song.
While the lack OF room In the Court House
prevented as from hearing his speech It was
received with great pleasure by those OF our
people who heard 1t. and perhaps we are not
orthodox in dissenting in the particular
10 which we referred.