The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-01-20

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superiority while insinuating that
alone was responsible for the dis
psnsary may d%iscerned, behind the thinnest
veil, the hideousness OF the misstatement, or
10. Does the editor OF the Presbyterian
that the people OF Due West are
better than the people OF Abbevtllef BY what
right could he set up any such claim?
Are the preachers at Aobeville not as good
the preachers at Due West?
Are the teachers at Abbeville not as good
Inc as true as the teachers at Due West?
Are not the business men at Abbeville in
point Of character and high standing. the
equals in every respect, OF the business men
at Due West?
Are not the citizens Of Abbeville as good as
the citizens OF Due Westf
When proper allowance Is made for the
and the charitable funds that are dis
tributed in Due West, and after due and prop
or discount is made for funds raised by the
whole church TO support part OF the l Of the
editor and part Of the kin OF other gentlemen
in distant lands, Abbeville has nothing to
fear in an honest, square, and Just show down
with Due West or any other town.
Soon after the destruction Of the Erskine
College building q good many years ago q
committee OF gentlemen from Due West came
here 70 see our people. They didn't 60 around
secretly to places In the back lots as II they
we're conscious o fintending to DO an unkind-
ness to somebody, but they came 70 zee those
who were in the forefront-openly and above
board. A meeting wal called In the Court
house. Ali was kindness and every man
faced every other man with an eye single for
the benefit q pleasure OF the guests. In
like manner, II friends had come here to
consult about doing away with the dispen.
sary, they would ave found, and could still
find, plenty OF sympathisers, who are at least
just as good. just az honest, and just as pure
in character AZ any man who would make in.
situations. or who would make charEel
against an unofending people.
II the people Of AbboYille\ had bssn
consulted, instead of being insulted, 1t II
possible that the d~ispensary might have
been by this time q thing of the past. Ifths
fight against the dispensary IL an honorable
and an honest one, why proceed in q way TO
excite opposition Why rub the hair the
wrong way? Why not treat the people OF Alb
beville with the semblanos OF decent respecti
Or, Is this asking too much Of the self-righte.
Gus EDITOR
honor them and We accord to them q place
in good fellowship where they are honored,
and where they are accorded as honorable
standing with Ms.
Due West has some Abbeyille men within
her borders. Does Due West discount them?
Does Due West exhibit TO them an air Of su-
periority? Does the editor ofthe Presbyterian
lack in oivilty to them?
II such claims OF superiority are mad out
side Of the Presbyterian office / am not in
formed OF the fact, and I do not for an instant
admit the pious EDITORS claim to his own
superiority over the people OF this town, and
I do not believe that the editor Of the Presby-
terian In Its vicious attacks or irritating nag
ging OF Us represents the sentiment OF the best
people Of Due West.
The fact IL. the people OF Abbeville are -
good as the people Of any other community.
They assume no superiority over others. but
they are better than any man who makes
Wholesale charges against them.
The fact 10, that in the olden days tho poo
pie Of Due West and the people Of Abbevills
We were sill friends then. Due West waa
toward Abbeville, and Abbeville
her friendship and her respect for
Due West In q hundred ways. We sent many
students to Due West. We ave substantial
gifts to the endowment or to the upbuil ding
Of ErskIne. Erskine's friends at Abbeville
were neither nsgged nor ignored by the high
or tone which then governed the editorial
OF the church paper.
II the church paper at Due est was then
uufriendly to either Abbeville or TO It's citi-
Gems, the fact Wal not indelibly impressed
upon my mind.
The fact is, I believe that II the editor Of the
Presby terian would abandon the role Of a
Ransy Snif1es, <Rnd assume the higher and
more honorable position Abbeville and Due
West would today live, as Alb beville wants 10
live. in harmony and good fellowship with
all OF Due West. This Is true even ofall
Speaking for myself, l desire TO live In love
and harmony with all Due West, including
the editor OF the Presbyterian, bat hen he
presumes to cast aspersions upon the town
or upon citizens whose hearts are as good and
as pure as his own be may expect me to re.
sent the act, who may be Influenced by this
OF strife or ill-feeling between the
communities which should be one In heart
and one In sentiment.
The church paper long ago, worked In har-
with the faculty n the trustees 10
any and all effort TO establish q first class
college at that place.
l would call attention, however, to the
spiteful work OF the Presbyterian against
OF the College, which spiteful work
must result in embarrassment to the good
and praiseworthy efforts OF tho very able
and efficient president OF Erskine College.
No trustee has q right to use his official po-
sition to bear down any friend OF Erskine.
The pious editor has no right TO use the
of the church paper to crafty q
disposition which qualification can
nave no other effect than to nullify the et-
Of friends OF the College. He has no
as trustee Of Erskine College to throw
obstacles in tho way Of the Pre.ident. who 10
80 faithfully to build up q good In
,stitution.
If the Presbyterian meant TO be fair In its
OF the d%ispensary question, 1t
would not himself attempt to dodge or evade
al responsibility OF bis own town or that OF
he people OF the county, and then he would
not charge up al lis iniquities 10 the town
of Abbeville.
Hsrs is what an honest and q fair editor 10
quoted ~ saying:
according to the report OF Solicitor Cooper
Of the Eighth judicial Circuit, which Is COM
posed Of four counties, there were forty nine
tried for murder. There were nine In
Abbeville. I'VE In Greenwood, sixteen In
and nineteen In Newbe1ry. or