Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1922-01-18
Wednesday, January Is.
The Three Duties.

Inc InrGe butiSo.
A recent editorial in The State
entitled, "The Two Duties" stated
that "Upon the General Assembly
rests two obligations:
"First, to reduce the state tax levy
by reducing appropriations to the
lowest point consistent with the eff
fcient conduct of the state govern
ment and its educational, charitable
and public health activities.
Second, to discover and enact
new measures of taxation so that
lands and houses shall be relieved of
a considerable part of the burden,
that burden to be shifted to other OBJ
jects."
The Advertiser would impose upon
the legislature a third duty, that of
so amending the law as to preclude
the possibility of defeating justice
through the appeals to higher courts
when there is no shadow of ground
in fact for the reversal of the lower
tribunal. Appeals are made frequent
Iy upon the veriest preteXt and unless
the tendency is checked there will be
a tremendous increase in lynchings
and mob violence. Our courts, the
very machinery established for met
ing out justice, should not be used
as a means of defeating justice and
encouraging lawlessness. There is
enough legal learning in the General
Assembly to improve court condi-
lions in South Carolina.
Railroad Deserves Loyal Support.
In this issue one of Edgefeld's
leading business men, who signs his
article "Citizen," makes an appeal to
our people to patronize the Southern
railroad, instead of the Augusta-Co-
Iumbia Truck Line. The appeal is
timely and should be needed by Edge
fields business men. Railroads, like
every other line of business, have
been hit hard. The high cost of OPP
Grafton, together with the shrinkage
in volume of business, has made it
exceedingly difficult for railroads to
make ends meet.
Automobiles have made heavy in
roads into the passenger traffic and
now if the truck lines that are spring
ing up here and there are patronized
by shippers, then the problem of
meeting operating expenses will be
made more difficult for the railroads.
Furthermore, the interests of the
public will suffer along with the rail
roads for it will be impossible for
railroads to render satisfactory SER
vice without adequate funds.
The Southern Railroad has always
dealt very generously with Edgefeld,
furnishing the town with almost as
good railroad facilities as if it were
located on the main line. 1t is very
probable that some of the trains OPP
Grated in and out of Edgefeld are
run at a loss, yet the management of
the Southern continues these trains
for the benefit of our people. If a
considerable portion of the freight
be diverted into other channels
for example, the motor truck line
which parallels the Southern between
Columbia and Augusta-and these
trains become too heavy a financial
burden for the Southern to carry it
will discontinue some of them, just
as has been done in Saluda, with its
one train a day
Our people should be loyal to the
road that has stood by Edgefeld and
not divide the patronage with a truck
line which means ABSOLUTELY
NOTHING to Edgefeld. 1t pays not
a dollar of taxes in this county and
does considerable damage to our
roads without paying a penny for
their upkeep. When we patronize the
Southern Railroad We are helping
ourselves and when we patronize the
Truck Line we do it to our own in
jury.