Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-12-05
SOUTH CAROLINA.
The Proud Old State AZ Seen by Thos.
r. Mellow, ESQ.

Mr.. Thomas F. McDow OF Yorkville
was one Of the speakers at the banquet
Of the st. Andrews society In Char
lesion, Thanksgiving night He re-
sponded to the toast 1.-The State Of
South Carolina" and his address was
one that should set the people of this
commonwealth to thinking. Recall
ing the great state Of our forefathers,
he compared 1t with conditions that
are prevailing In 1t now. The compar-
ison Is pathetic.
After recounting some history and
achievements Of old South Carolina,
Mr.. McDow exclaimed:
Measured by this standard, the
past Of South Carolina Is secure, The
opinions of the judges have been
quoted with approval in Westminster
hall; she has given to the medical
profession Marion Simms, to theology
the great Thornwell, to literature
Simms, Legare and Timrod. The roll
Of her distinguished statesmen is too
long to recall. Suffice 1t to say that
the heart of every true South Caro-
linian thrills with pride as he remem-
bers the conspicuous part played by
his people upon the battlefields Of
America, and by the representatives
OF South Carolina In the golden days
Lowndes and McDuffie."
Then, after hesitating for a mo-
ment, the speaker proceeded:
"The old order has given place to
the new; what was Goose Creek once
Is Tiber now. The tidal wave Of frat
ricidal strife broke upon our beloved
state. The men who had made South
Carolina the admiration Of the world
were retired to the seclusion of pri-
vate life, and every little hungry man.
ikin began a mad struggle for the seats
Of the mighty. The strong man of
character and ability has not found
the field Of politics In South Carolina
of late years an inviting one. The
captains of industry, fatally bent upon
heaping up riches, where moth and
dust doth corrupt, have devoted their
great abilities with marvellous success
to the industrial development Of the
state, and the demagogue has devoted
himself with equal. IL not greater. ac-
tivity to the task of fooling a majority
Of the people all the time.
"Mr. President, / am not a pessi-
mist, nor am / a Bourbon, who looks
backward to the glory Of an age which
has departed, rather than to the pride
Of achievements in the return, but
when 1 think Of what we were and
read the comments Of the press Of the
country upon what we are, think OF
the old darky who had buried his
fourth wife. His pastor asked him
how he felt. He said: Mr.. Johnsing,
feels like / am in the hands OF an
all-wise and INSCRIPTIONS Frovi-
dence'
Politically, South Carolina is sick.
Whether she has pellagra or rabies
am unable to say, but I do know that
she needs the services Of a physician
and surgeon, and not a quack. Her
citizens have so long devoted their
thoughts to the best solution Of the
whisky question that the moral vision
of our people has become somewhat
obscure. 1t is true that the old state
has had few lucid intervals, but the
places OF distinction are not regarded
as high and honorable as they once
were. The man who offers for q po-
sition Of honor and trust In these days
must be what is known as a good mix
er, which, being translated, means
that he must be hail-fellow-well-met
with any sort of a rascal, and drink
corn whisky and branch water and
be the proud possessor of an elastic
He must possess the fur
ther qualification Of being high up I'm
the noble Order of Striped Zebras and
Worthy Past Mogul Of the Wild
Wolves of the Canebrakes and kin
dred orders.
"Mr. President, I would not be un-
derstood as Understanding the i'm
portance of developing the resources
of the state and making two grains Of
corn grow where one grew before, but
what I do wish to emphasize Is that
1t Is more important and necessary
for us to grow men than grain"
Next came a breath Of optimism:
But. sir, I do not despair Of South
Carolina's future. She holds the
worlds record for the largest yield Of
corn and oats on single acre OF
ground; she is the greatest cotton
state in the Union; she
has, within a period Of thirty-five
years, restored her credit in the mar
kets. Of the world. She has, or Is
a splendid system Of pub
lie schools In every nook and corner of
the state; she has provided literally
tor the poor and afflicted within her
borders, and builded splendid colleges
which are to train her youth and be
the nursery of her future leaders. The
development Of great men has only
been arrested for short time, but
the need for lion-like leader to guide
and direct the destinies of our beloved
state was never greater than now
Piedmont.