The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1917-05-02
Judge Benet's Speech in Behalf
of Clemson College December
1883; Represented Abbeuille

Q1V1Qudl pFOpeTIy w thS oShSt, e
both agreed that on the death of
both it should go to the State for
the establishment of school of
farming. This purpose was no out
growth of the Farmers Movement.
It had been conceived fifteen years
before that started. Mr.. Clemson
had not known a single one of the
seven trustees he named in his will.
He simply knew of them as earnest
and honest advocates of the cause
of agricultural education, and he had
selected them with q view to having
every section represented.
But it is said that if we accept
this bequest, Miss Lee, the grand
daughter of Mr.. Clemson, will be
left penniless. The will shows that
she will get $4,000.
Mr.. Haskell: "Please tell US how?"
Mr.. Benet: "Oh, I have it here;
I'm tnly trying to 30 slow" Mr..
Benet then detailed tie items of Miss
Lees inheritance. She was given by
the will $4,000 in money; $4,000
worth of family silver; part Of the
Fort Hill plantation, worth $4,000;
the old estate near Washington, at
Bladenburg, worth $4,000; q debt
of $1,000 due by her father to Mr..
Clemson-in all $4,000, with a few
minor bequests running the amount
above that. Mrs.: Clemson had, Mr..
Benet said, in conversation shortly
before her death, answering ques-
ton why they were not going to,
leave their property to Miss Lee;
"Oh, she is amply provided for"
Her necessities, therefore, need not
be considered in the discussion Of
this case.
In that subject, however, q curl
GUS thing had happened. About q
year before Mr.. Clemson's death,
Mr.. Smith, q merchant at Pendleton,
had received an order from Gideon.
Lee to allow Mr.. Clemson credit for
provisions to the amount of 500.
Mr.. Lee had thought Mr.. Clemson
was poverty stricken, and that &C.
ton showed he had no expectations
from him. Mr.. Clemson's invest
ments had been a gilt edged securi-
ties and made with, such financiers
as Carcoran, - of Washington, and
Rion, Of Winnsboro. In that way his
estate had grown wonderfully. Gid
eion Lee did not know: that. The
old grandfather, wifeless, childless
and alone at Fort Hill, year after
year, had begged Mr.. Lee to let his
granddaughter come to him. She
never came. Yet this was the man
who was now trying to get the Gen.
eral Assembly to vote. against the
Clemson bequest. Perhaps if MIR.
Lee had known Of this property he
would have allowed his daughter to
visit Fort Hill. Who knows? "Look
on this picture and on that" on the
treatment Gideon Lee gave Mr..
Clemson before his death and this
suit in the Federal Courts!
Mr.. Benet explained Mr.. Glenn
sons purchase of the Fort Hill pro-
perty under foreclosure of mortgage
as trustee of his wife. He had, how
ever, paid of his own money the fol-
lowing sums, due from the estate:
to Amelia Clemson, $4,000; to CAL
houn Clemson, by bequest, $4,000;
fees and costs, $1,000; executors
5000. All these costs and
expenses Mr.. Clemson had been
paid from his own pocket.
AS soon as the General Assembly
voted to accept the bequest, the per-
sonal property of the State, Miss
Lee had no claim on that. The State
entered instanter into the possession
of 100000. Was it ever necessary
before in the history of the world to
stand and beg people to accept
$4,000?
Some objected to the conditions
of the will. It was true that seven
of thirteen trustees were named by
the will, but that objection was OBJ
waited by section 5 Of the bill which
required a two-thirds vote to au-
thorize the expenditure of any mon
eys by the trustees, and gave the
State complete financial control. The
State could withdraw it's appropri-
ations if matters were not as desired.
But some of the opponents of this
bill said: "Why accept this bequest
at aH?; come with US and We'll help
you establish a separate Agricultur-
al College,. 1t was very strange
that the cry of the farmers. for a
separate college had gone unheeded
year after year, and now came this
sudden willingness. He warned the
friends of this bill to beware and be
not deceived by that specious cry.
Should majority of the House
and Senate vote "no" on this bill,
what will then be our position? One
of the most remarkable in the his
tory of education! a universal cry
from all parts of the State for a
farmers college. Mr.. Clemson says:
"Here is my fortune, build the col
lege." South Carolina answers, 1--WE
will not accept it." The farmers
would be compelled to accept the
bequest on their own account and
build college at their own expense.
Mr.. Benet closed his speech with
an eloquent appeal, he said, to the
patriotism of the body, to every
friend Of South Carolina College, to
every friend of the Citadel Academy,
to every son of South Carolina, to
consider this bill favorably, to put
the public mind at rest and to take
tho GRAND old So11th Carolina Col