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LAURENS WILL MEET THE ISSUE Great Mass Meeting of Progressive Citizens in the Court House Yesterday Evening, when Unbounded Enthusiasm Reigned. A Committee Appointed to Select a Sub-committee of Three from Each Denomination to Solicit Subscriptions from every Man and Woman in the City of Laurens. A Spirit of Determination and Co-operation Pervaded the Meeting Such as Never Before in the History of Laurens. Keynote of the Meet mg a Determination to Secure the Amount Necessary at Any Cost. A great muss meeting of the cit izens of Laurens was held in the court house yesterday afternoon to formulate plans to make a proper answer to the letter of the board of trustees oi* Ohicora college, in which letter it was promised that it $75. 000 and a suitable site were prof fered, the college would be moved here. Such a spirit of determina tion and enthusiastic cooperation ?howed itself in the meeting as has never been shown in this city be fore. A committee was appointed to solieit. subscriptions and another one to procure options on all available and suitable sites in the city. After the money is secured, the offtr will be formally laid be fore the board of trustees of the col lege and they will select whatever site they tliink best. The following are the commit tees: Presbyterian church: B. II. Wilkes, R. P. Fleming, Ii. K. Aiken Baptist: R. A. Cooper, C. B. Bobo, D. A. Davis Methodist: W. L. Gray, L G. Balle, W. II. Dial. Episcopal: R. E. Hughes, M. L. ^'opeland, W. II. Washington. ^ Committee to secure options: T. M. Lake, R. Ross Blakeley, J. P. Tolbert. The meeting was organized with R. B. Babb as chairman and A. C. Todd as secretary. Dr. II. K. Aiken stated the cause of tlie meeting. The chairman asked for suggestions as to prooeedure. At this moment, Rev. C. P. Rankin arose and stated that he wished to make a few re marks before other business was attended to. Mr. Rankin began by saying that though he was by virtue of his calling only a transient citizen here, he felt the deepest interest in the city and wds ready at nil times to do everything in Lis power to fur ther its growth and progress. He felt that now a great opportunity was before the eity, which must be graaped now or never. Opportun ities such as these come but once in a#life time and to let this one pass would be to let the best thing go by that Laurens has ever had the opportunity to grasp. After reviewing the history of the movement to secure Chicora college for Laurens, Mr. Rankin went on to state that the trustees of Chicora had given the matter serious and solemn consideration and had tome to the conclusion that if Laurens would raise $75,000 and provide a jftable site that the college would jk moved here. He said that this was a bold move on the part of the trustees and as liberal as could be npectcd. Though thewe h*ve been those who have-said tfr&t Lauren? could not secure the college, if she wanted it, there was no reason to donbt what the board had said. They would not carry on a flirta tion on the part of Chicora with Liaurens. This was a matter of the pest interest of the colloge and / he had no doubt but that Laurens would receive a fair deal from the trustees. Tie felt it a reflection upon the trustees to doubt but that they would stand by the proposi tion they hail submitted, lie felt sure that if Lauren's secured the college that it would always sup port it and that it would remain here at all times. for never had ho known of a ease where a college was moved twice. \ Mr. Rankin said that he doubled whether the citizens of Laurens appreciated tin- great advantages of such an institution. With '2~>0 stu dents and .'18 teachers and officers, it disbursed about $:{~),000 a year and he believed that at least $50, 000 a year was now spent in Green ville by Chicora college and stu dents. With a large and beautiful building and endowment fund of probably $100,000, Chicora would prove a great asset and an adver tisement* for Laurens. In its ef fect upon the moral and intellec tual side of the 1 ift; of the city, the college would far exceed the financial benefits. Laurens has now the opportunity to strike for Chris tian education. He said that Laurens was eon fronted with a big task in raising this large sum and it would be nec essary for many to make a sacrifice to secure it, but the returns of ev ery kind would justify a much larger expenditure. With a spirit of determination he believed that the citizens of Laurens would suc ceed in raising the money. In closing Mr. Rankin said that he hoped that the people of Lauren* would respond in the same generous spirit in which the board had made the proposition. Dr. W. II. Dial spoke a few en thusiastic words in support of the movement, declaring that now was a psychological moment to put new life into the city and to begin an era of growth and progress, for the l>enefit of the children and genera tions to follow. Mr. R. A. Cooper spoke a few Words declaring that the campaign must be carried out to a successful end. Mr. W. L. Gray made an en thusiastic speech urging the people to put. forth every effort to raise the required sum of money, de claring that it was an investment in which tho returns would bo far greater than anything that money could buy. lie stressed the advan tages to those who were unable to send their children elsewhere to college and who would be most ben efitted by having the college here. To those who are not familiar with the cironintitances leading up to the call of this meeting, it would not be put of placo to review the happenings of the past few weeks or the past few months. In fact for the past several years Rev. C. F. Rankin has had a plan revolving in his mind to secure a col logoff or Laurens. Realizing when ho first came here that such an institu tiou \v;i>> one of its direst needs ami feeling sure that tho city and coun ty were willing and anxious to support n college, he has constant ly kept the idea in mind. A few months ;i*r<*. when some, dissatis faction Was expressed because of the cramped Conditions surround* ing the present location of Chieora college at Greenville and th<> facti eanie out ?t a meeting of the hoard of trustees that tho college would likely be moved from its present location to some other location in or near Greenville or to some other city, the question of securing tho college for Laurens was agitated quietly. The movement gained in momentum until just before the ap pointed time for the meeting of the board of trustees last week, it was thought advisable to get a number of Laurens citizens togeth er and discuss the question. The meeting was held last Mon day afternoon and & committee consisting of enthusiastic, members of all denominations was appoint ed to appear before the board of trustees at Greenville and to find out the sentiment of the boa id. The [committee went up without any proposition 1?? differ and wer?' on ly instructed to say that Laurens was unwilling to enter into non competition with other cities to secure the college. bu1 thai Lau rens stood ready to do all in her power to meet any condition the hoard might suggest. The trustees were advised of the hopes and plans of Ijourens in reference to the college if it were established here and were asked to state the terms upon which the col lege could be secured. The committee was given a courteous hearing. Wednesday afternoon (the next day) Dr. H. K. Alken, the chairman of the Laurens com mittee, was informed that the board had acted favorably upon the sug gestion of the Laurens citizens and would recommend moving the college here if Laurens would supply a suitable site and raise $7;").000 for the college. As the first newspaper announce ment of the action of the board of trustees covers very minutely ev ery phase of tire situation, it is re produced below, it being taken from Thursday's issue of The Greenville News. It is as follows: That Ohicora College will be re moved from Greenville to the town of Lauren's is practically certain, since the Hoard of Trustees, in an nual session la.(;t night, adopted a report from the "Ways and Means Com mitte to the effect that should Laurons provide the college with an acceptable site and the sum of $75,000 toward a removal plant, the college would ba focorr.cr.ded to the controlling Prosbytencs of thd State. That Laurens will meet the condition laid down by the trustees, is more than probable. In fact, it was reliably stated last night that the conditions will be met in full , within 10 days. That the controll ing Presbyteries would adopt, the recommeaation of tho Hoard of Trustees in very likely. ' "The Board of Chicora College deem in due to all concerned to make a succiont but plain state men I of their action in connection with the probable transfer of the intsitulion from its present site to the city of Laurens. "At its meeting in July. 1911, a member of the board who found it impossible to be present in per son at Ibis meeting addressed to it a communication in which be raised the question whether the in terests of the college did not de mand at the hands of the board a frank consideration of the ad visability of transferring the in stitution to some other place in the Synod and suggesting Laurens as a suitable place. STATEMENT BY BOARD. "The board referred this com munication to its executive com mitte with instructions to consider its contents and in connection with same to see whether they could not. secure for the college an eligible site in or near the city of Green vile. "When the board met this year, at S:'M) p. m. July 2nd. they were informed that a number of gen tlemen representing the various de nominations and the business in terests of Laurens were in the city and desirous of confering wtih them touching the matter of the removal of the college from its present site. These gentlemen were granted an audience by the board. Through their spokesman, Dr. Aiken, they stated that, they had heard that there was a posibility that the hoard might deem the removel of the col lege advisable. They also stated very explicitly through Dr. Aiken and others that they had not come to try to get the college away from Greenville or to make any bid for it as against any other community; but were before the board to say that if that body should decide that they were willing to consider the removal of the college and would stafti the conditions upon which its removal hinged they could assure the board that the city of Laurens was ready to make an earnest and othusiastic "effort to meet those con? ditions. They made no proposi tion of any kind to the board, but in private .conversation with the members of that body stated they believed the e.ity of laurens would provide the college with a suitable site and money enough to pay off its present tndebtness. "The hoard heard these gentle men respectfully and promised tfem as early an answer as the nature of their business would ad mit of. "When the board went again into executive session its ex ecutive committee reported that there was not before them any propositionr for a site for the col lege in or near the city of Green villi'. Dr. Byrd, the president, however, said that he was request ed by certain gentlemen of the city to lay before the hoard with suit able explanation. four available sites in as many diffcron subv/ebs of the city. All these, together with the address from the citizens of Laurens, were referred to the ways and means committee of the hoard for consideration. "That committee, after deliber ating until late in the night, form-1 ulated and presented to the board the following report : To the Board of Directors of Chic ora College in Session July 1912. Brethren: Your committc on ways and means had referred to them four propositions touching the removal of the college from its present to some other site in or near the city of Greenvile, and also the matter brought to the attention of the board by the committee of citizens of Laurens ,S. C, touching the removal of the college to that city. Early in our conference in be came evident to our committee that none of the propositions for tin- re moval to any of the four sites in or near Greenville was in such shape as lo make it, wise in the judgment of your committee to entertain them at the. present time. The following circumstances led your committee to regard it as im perative that we give the most care ful consideration to the question of removing the college to the city of Laurens. 1. There is at present resting up on the college a debt amounting to $65,000 and bearing interest, part at. 7 per cent, and part at 8 por cent. 2. Extensive improvements in our present present plant at. an early day are imperative. The cost will aggregate $35,000. To make these improvements there is no money in hand. Should we ap ply the whole of tin- $50,000 which we hope will be secured For the col lege by the campaign at present in progress, we would still he con fronted with the debt of $45,000. Such .i debt, imposes a handicap that constantly threatens the very existence of the college. .1. Our present Kite while bcauti ful and convenient is not. eonvio dious. In our judgment the in terests of the college will demand removal from it at no distant day. Under these circumstances it does not. seem wise to your committee to spend upon our present plant a single dollar more than is abso utely neeeessary. 4. There seems to be no reason able hope that the Presbyterians and people of Greenville will feel able to lift from the college the burden of debt at present threaten ing its existence and provide with it an effective material equipment. 5. Your committee is credibly informed that the city of Laurens is prepared to at least assume our I present debt and provide il witli tin eligible site. This done, until it could be sold at a reasonable price, our property here could be bond ed for al least the sum of $65,000. With Ibis sum and $:{">,(>()() of the $50,000 hoped for from the present canvass we would have in hand the sum of $l()(i.()(i(l a sufficient amount with which to erect in the city of Laurens a thoroughly well-equip ped modern school plant. (i. The board has already been informed by our president thai the present property of the college will in his judgment bring under the hammer, between $.60,000 and $100 000 and there seems to he no rea sonable ground to doubt that given a little time and the property prop erly handled would bring not less than $150,000. In view of all these and other circumstances not necessary to bo formally incorporated in this re port your committee felt con si rained to recommend: 1. That the hoard reply to the committee from the city of Lau rens that if that community will provide the college with an ac ceptable site and the sum of $75, 000 towards a suitable plant, this board will recommend to its con troling Presbyteries that they ad vise and consent to the transfer of the eollege to that city. 2. That this hoard appoint a committee to communicate their action to Dr. Aiken, chairman of the commit tee from the city of Laurens, and to Juke such other steps as may be necessary !?> give, legal affetc to the previous reso hit ion ''. "In presenting this rcporl the chairman of the ways and means committee stated very clearly that in making this report the commit tee wen? not animated by any lac], of regard for or good will toward the city and people of Qrccnvillo, but solely by the grave facts cm bodied in their report. "Tin' report, of the ways and means committee, after elaborate discussion, was adopted by tho hoard and the special committee provided for in the .second reso lution of the report appointed. This committee of one member from each of the Presbyteries re presented on the hoard. "With the adoption the recom mendations of the report of tho ways and means committee and tho appointment of the special com mittee therein provided for, tho matter of the removal of the col leg proper, so to Speak, was taken out of the hands of the board and placed into those of the citizens of Laurens and the Presbyterians ol' the Synod. The outcome of tho movement turns upon two condi tions, viz: (1) Will the citizens of Laurens meet the conditions named by the hoard T (2) ' Will two thirds of the Pres. byteries reatify its action?