The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1894-03-14

a Cleveland Democratic platform. an
a Democrat and one standing SQUARED,
upon the Chicago platform, aud l pro
pose to show vcu that it is almost lden'
tlcal with the Ocala demands. (Mr
Evans here read the two platforms ant
compared them.) Who nov are th'
true Democrats, the Alliancemen or th'
lackass horses?
rest my Democracy here and vii
now proceed to discuss State affairs
The historian Gibbon characterized tht
reign of the Antoniss over the Roman
Empire as the only instance where TIE
happiness of the people was the sole OBJ
ject OF their rulers. Well and truly ma'
the same be said of the reign Of the Re.
formers in South Carolina. Recosniz'n.
the principle that the best educated pao
pie are the happiest and best citizens
the first object of .he Reform govern
ment was to build up the common
school system. Under the bill INTRO
duced by myself, separate school dis
tricts have been organized in nearly al
of cur counties and in most of them oy
the addition Of a small tax our pubic
schools are now run from six to n!ne
months and I am II favor Of makin9
every district in toe State separate ant
allowing it 10 govern itself as to its
schools and the method of maintaining
them, aided, of course, by the State ap-
preparation.
A constitutional convention shoulc
be called and our school law expungec
from the Constitution and left entirely
with our Legislature, as at present it is
dangerous in the extreme and menace
to our entire system of common
schools.
We have built and equipped col
lege, modern in all its FEATURES, where
our poor boys may obtain an education
at the smallest expense. The best evl
dence of its success and its necessity
for its establishment is the fact thai
over six hundred students are now en-
rolled within its walls and others are
knocking at its doors for admission.
We have maintained every institution
of the old regime and not q dollar OF
extra taxation has been placed upon the
people in comparison with the rate OF
the past opposing administrations.
Recognizing the great injustice done
to our women and the indifference
shown them by "the best element" we
have in process of construction an in
dustrial college for women which will
be the pride of our State. 1t will be as
grand success as Clemson College and
ill long felt want. It is sad to re-
late. however, that "the toughs" of the
State were the first to recognize the
claims of her lovely women.
We have crushed out the CoosaW
monopoly created by Republican and
sought to be maintained by "the best
element" and today the State is in pos.
session of all her rights and her prop
erty including Agricultural Hall,
which was attempted 10 be stolen from
US by carpet baggers and fraudulent
bondholders.
We have endeavored to eQualize tax
alton by assessing the property OF cor
porations commensurate with that of
real estate owners, but by reason OF
beng in the hands of United States
Court receivers they have all defied the
States authority, rendered only the
amount of taxes they thought due and
are now indebted to the State in the
sum of S201 ,0OO. There is not rail
road in the State, considering the IN
terest paid on a legitimate bonded II
debtedness, which is not assessed lower
than the average farm, considering the
interest received by the farmer upon
his investment. Little did We think
when Daniel II. Chamberlain was drly-
en- from the State at the point of the
bayonet that be would so soon return
and snap his fingers in the face of our
government, sustained by men who
had denounced him as a thief and
scoundrel. guardian not only our larg-
est corporations. but also of our United
States Circuit Judges principle and
the editors of some of our largest news
papers and criterion Of our Democ-
racy, and banQuetted by the elite Of
Charleston. We are forced to exclalm
To what base uses have "the better
element" come. Had these railroads
paid their taxes and the revenue from
phosphates not been destroyed, your
taxes would now be only two and q
half mills. In spite of this, by strict
economy. we have refunded the State
debt of $780, 900, exempted the storm
stricken sections from taxes, paid the
old soldiers an extra sum of $1,000, and
lowered your taxes half mill. Sala-
ries have been reduced over ten per
cent, but could not be made to take
effect until next year, for the reason
that the Legislature refused to cut
their own down.
We have been accused of being in
competent and ignorant and incapable
of running the Sta.e government.
When the State debt was to be refund
ed, the banks of Charleston refused to
cooperate with us and said that the
State could take care of herself and
Charleston would do the same. We
went to New York and actually "the
patriots of South Carolina fy-blowed
US and not q banker in that city would
take her bonds, stating that they had
been offered to them at cheaper rate
than was offered by our State authori-
ties, who alone had power to sell them.
We went TO Baltimore and succeeded
before those people could find out
where we were. I was told by Balti'
more banker that be was approached
BY one of our patriots and statesmen
| and asked why he was helping Tillman
float his bonds, did be not know that
he was fighting Butler and Hampton
| by aiding Tillman. Let him alone said
he and let him refund his own bonds
This gentlemen expressed to me the
profonndest contempt for such conduct
We were harrassed by these patriots,
who were willing to bankrupt the
State for political purposes. While
| negotiations were pending, one man
went so far as to Introduce into Jhe
Legislature bill to extend the ole
bonds for four years at six per cent. on
account of the inability of the State tt
lrefuud the old debt. This man kne"
at the time that the matter had almost
reached successful termination anc
he did this for no other reason than tc
break it up and be succeeded. The next
| 6ay the matter was telepraDhed to New