The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-04-14
MAJORITIES VS.. MINORI-
TIES, DIR. j. l.. EASTER
LING.

lies, DIX. y. IL. EASIER-
LING.
BLUE RIDGE, S. c., APRIL, 6, 1886.
To my good friends of Clarendon
County.
GENTLEMEN When [ use the words
majorities and minorities, I of course
include all classes of men in both.
No other kind of Democracy will suit
me at all. If conventions must be
assembled, touching general laws for
the whole people, (of course none 9th
ers could be constitutionally enter
tained) the Democracy of our fathers
demand, that all classes shall be rep
resented. [ would not be so immod-
est, as to set up judgment against the
wisdom of my noble little State, yet,
I feel too grateful to our "dead faith
ers," to hesitate for one moment of
time, to take their jewels to my hand,
and scatter them broadcast over the
State of South Carolina my idol.
Laws enacted for the benefit of very
large majorities, are safer than if made
to suit few, as minorities are under
more obligations to majorites, than
maioEsies are to minorities. Though
the rights of minorities should be res
pected the same as those ofmajorities,
yet it is not safe so to shape laws, that
minorities, (who are more than apt to
be our Office holders and business
men) should have business advantag-
es greater than those of very large
majorities, who should rule every
country according to the "rule Of
right" alone. Safer though it may be
to shape laws to suit majorities, yet it
accords more with justice, (the great
Democratic foundation) that both ma
jorities and minorities, should stand
as equals before the law. Then Sc
cure to the downtrodden farmer his
rights, and to business men seven Per
cent alone on the dollar, and we will
have Justice before the law. That is
what our fathers taught US; and we
all know, that the State has not the
wisdom to-day; that she had in
their time. The State of South Caro-
lima, should never allow minorities to
make slaves of their equals. Men in
power, should use DO more authority
than is necessary to carry on their
business. More than that is tyranny.
The laws of this State allow every man
to think what he pleases; and to think
aloud toe, if he wishes. But they do
not sanction any hurtful assertions.
Therefore we should be very careful
when we speak, or when we write, that
we violate no law of the State, though
she may not because of her tenderness
towards the citizen, see fit to punish
one for so doing. The abuse of pow
er and the improper use of privilege,
are both equally hostile to liberty.
No man should be allowed to exercise
authority or have privilege conferred
upon him, except be be composed Of
the best material possible. Though
bad blood may have much to do with
injustice, yet methinks bad training,
(or rather no training at alD has much
more to do in the matter. No one
ought to be accused of arraying citi-
zen against citizen, when he simply
tells US, that very large majority Of
the people of this State, composed Of
all classes) should rule, if they follow
in every particular the ''rule of right" ="
Yes, such a majority might very well
be trusted to distribute rights to their
business friends and themselves alike.
Opposition to the above doctrine
would have the greater tendency to
divide the people. When the law
gives too much power or too great an
expansion of privilege, (but they both
generally go together) patriotism and
conscience and sense of justice, it
seems to me, are quite sufficient to
make any weD-trained man so conduct
himself towards his fellow-man, as
that he may live with a heart in his
bosom, and die with an unwhipped
conscience. Man is natural tyrant;
and unless he be curbed by good
blood and proper training, he is more
than apt to be dangerous man in any
part or in any country; and even ifhe
has good in his veins, without the
right kind of training, it may do his
nature good to oppress. We do not
see so much abuse of power as we do
Of privilege, because the aspirations
of the one are noble, while those of
the other are commonplace indeed.
Surely the wisdom of our fathers
ought to make US to see to it, that
no man shall receive more than seven
per cent. on the dollar, and thereby
surround privilege within just and
proper bounds. Our judges and gov
ernors will scarcely ever Cypress US,
unless compelled to do so by some
questionable law, which they would
detest as much as they would the op-
preston, as their aspirations are as
pure as gold. The nobler are the as
pirations OF men, (and they can have
no proud aspirations unless they have
been properly trained) the greater
will be their leniency in the discharge
of their duties. Power is only dan