The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1894-12-05


the County Canvassers and State
Board. But they have not dared at
tack the legality of the election before
either tribunal, except at few pre-
cincts which could not change the re.
suit They simply charge fraud over
anonymous signatures, or through the
mouths of brazen tools bought to dc
the dirty work of SANDER.
This cry of fraud, under the circum,
stances, can only emanate from hearts
reeking with fendish malice and en-
Wy, or it is paid for by the whiskey
ring, which organized the bolt and
furnished the campaign fund. The
vote was very light, because the peo,
pie were not aroused and did not
know of the intended coup d'etat OF
the allied Republicans and Gndepend-
ents; but when it is remembered that
the same managers who returned Ev-
ans najorities returned large adverse
votes against the Constitutional Con
vention, which was specially linked
to his candidacy, it can be seen how
unreasonable and false is the accusa-
ton of ballot box stutfing and false
counting. If there had been any con-
certed or organized purpose to cheat
among the managers, these contra
dictory votes would not have been re-
turned. I assert that the election was
as fair and marked by as few irregu-
larities as any ever held in the State
since the reconstruction period.
But l cannot refrain from congrat-
ulating the people upon the opportu-
nifty now offered, after long. weary
years of waiting and struggle, to put
our beloved State beyond the reach OF
ignorance and vice in controlling cleo
tons.
The Constitutional Convention has
been called by popular vote, though
by small majority. 1t will be your
duty to provide for the election of del
egates to it, and to appropriate a sum
of money for defraying it's expenses.
This is an additional achievement, by
and through the Reform movement,
which will have more to do with the
future veal and woe of our common
wealth than any or all the rest have
heretofore enumerated. It is fitting
capstone to the triumphal arch which
the common people have erected to
liberty, progress and Anglo-Saxon
civilization since 1890.
There IS one aspect of the conven-
ton expenses to which I would direct
your attention: The per diem of its
members should be not more than
two dollars per day and one railroad
mileage to and from Columbia. If the
people are wise, they will select, for
the difficult and delicate task Of fran
ing new Constitution, the very wis.
ect, puresc and best men we have, and
pay them only enough to defray act
ual expenses. In the very nature OF
things, the Constitution to be framed
will be largely the work of few lead
ers, and the main business of the
great majority of the delegates will
be to discuss, and reject or adopt, the
suggestions thus presented. This will
be work of considerable length, but
it will be done much sooner and bet
ter, and the work will be pressed to
conclusion at much less cost to the
taxpayers, if every delegate is made
to contribute his time free Of cost to
the State. Any man who is not will
ing to attend to this patriotic work at
actual cost to himself is unworthy to
sit in the body
If this suggestion is followed, there
will be no temptation to proIong the
session. Every one will work to get
through as soon as possible.
It is not desirable that the work
should be hurried, but it is altogether
necessary to have it cost as little as
possible.
THE D1sPENsARY Law.
I have mentioned the Dispensary
law as one Of the measures which Will
signalize the Reform administration.
l speak advisedly when I say that no
new and untried experiment in legls-
lation has ever gained so many friends
in so short time and taken such deep
root in the popular heart. The law
has come to stay, and it will depend
on it's enforcement and administration
whether it shall spread to other States
or not. It is the one question Of great,
est public interest at this time. and /
shall necessarily devote much space
to it.
The liquor dealers have resisted its
enforcement and tried to evade it by
every device that cunning and greed
can suggest; and they have had as ac-
tive sympathizers large proportion
of the people and police of nearly all
the cities and towns in the State.
There have been some notable and
praiseworthy exceptions, and I take
pleasure in mentioning Abbevllle,
Chester, Edgefeld and Orangeburg as
affording no aid or comfort to the il
licit sellers Of liquor, except during
the time when the law was suspended
by the action of the Supreme Court.
The statute, as amended by the last
Legislature, has proven very satisfac-
tory as means of stopping the illicit
traffic, but there are some defects
which l shall point out later on, and
recommended changesto correct them.
AS soon as the General Assembly
adjourned and the new Dispensary
Act went into effect, l set about act
lively to enforce it to the letter. De-
tectives were employed to obtain evi,
dence, the constabulary was increased
by adding picked men to the force,
and vigorous crusade begun to drive
the blind tigers" from the State. If
it had not been for the animosltles en-
gendered by politics, and the determi-
nation of political partisans to sustain
the liquor dealers in every way posi-,
BILE, it is not likely that the tragedy
which followed would have ever oc-
Cured. Some of the newspapers be-
gan early in January to educate the
public mind to resistance to the search
ing of private dwellings; and men
were taught to believe that this was
an invasion of their liberties to which
they should not submit. 1t is needless
to show the fallacy of this contention,
because it is readily seen that if man