The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-09-11
MAJOR H. B. RICHARDSON
Takes Broad View of Our Crit.
cism.
FULTON. S. c.. Sent. 2. 1885.


FULTON, S. G.. Sept. z, 1896.
EDITOR TIE MANNING TIMEs:-I beg YOU
will allow NE space in your columns to re-
ply to such passages in your article in
The Manning Times Of the fourth instant,
as in justice to myself and fairness to 9TH
ers feel called on to notice
The correspondence between us. being
published, speaks for itself, and requires
70 further comment from me except to ex-
plain that the sentence in my card to you
should have been written There Is no be-
lief that any such movement is on foot
nere"-meaning in this section OF the
county-and having corrected this error
which in the sentence aS ut first writer.
might possibly have led TO wrong con-
struction, it so far simplities matters Us 10
bring your cause of complaint against me
to be centered in the expression "a trick to
secure votes" which am free to adnl. was
ineloquent and certainly not polite, and
would have been couched in different Ian
cuage had known the publicity awaiting
it. But I had hoped-notwithstaading
your connection with newspaper and un-
doubted right to print anything you SOW
it--that you would have respected the diff
ference between what was meant as o pri-
vate communication and one intended for
publication.
# the words used ''it would be hard to
get men so set on to move" suggested the
idea to you that they would not support
the ticket under any circumstances. your
conclusion was wrong as is shown by the
Conservative vote polled On election day,
and just here let me say that the charge
that and my relatives voted latter consid-
esable hesitation and talk from friends and
neighbors" is utterly false, for MY frlends
and neighbors we're aware Of my intention
some time before the election, and I also
mentioned the fact to prominent Reform
! er of this section Just aiter reaching the
polls, who told me that he, like myself,
would not have attended the election but
for the ticket brought out in opposition
This was the only conversation I held on
the subject with anyone before voting, ex'
cept some members OF my own faction,
who, am sure. used no influence to pur.
suade me one way or the other.
It is almost needless for me to notice
that portion Of the article referring TO the
claims Of the nominees to our support on
individual merit as any unprejudiced
reader of my letter published by you. will
see and understand that what opposition
there might have been was purely of po.
liticel and not from any personal reason.
You have called notice to the honors the
people have bestowed on me and members
Of my family, and there is no one who val
ues the confidence Of the public or appre-
ciates their trust more than I do. In all
you say in regard to this you are correct.
and We agree in the conviction that no
man should shirk duty imposed or him
BY ths people among whom he lives. But
I have yet to learn where I have been un-
faithful to their confidence or am unmind-
ful Of their interests.
| you also refer to my being sent as del
| egate to what is known as the "Forty Con-
yention" and the pledge taken there. 1t is
trne that both you and I bound ourselves
to act in conformity with and subordinate
to the Democratic executive committee. But
we went further and promised to use ouI
| very best efforts to bring about the result
we were appointed to achieve. if possible,
and it was to this end I addressed letter
TO our county executive committee urging
them to call on the people 70 express their
will, leaving the best manner to accom-
plish this, to their judgment. felt l
could not act independently Of the conf
mittee without violating my pledge, or l
should have issued call myself. I men
ton this to show that in the latest service
required of me by the people Of Clarendon
discharged the duty to the best OF my
ability, and it was no fault Of mine If moth
ing came of it. and my letter as I learned.
received ONLY as information" But
though was pledged to conform to the
dictates of the executive committee, our
club, as an organization. was not so bound.
and had right to act as they thought best
I will explain, however, that you do them
wrong when you attribute to them desire
to dictate to the people Of the county any
measures whatsoever, but they entered a
protest in the only way they could, against
the utter disregard shown the minority IN
our county, and in the event Of no opposl-
tion-such as afterwards appeared-they
deemed their support superauous as re-
garding the Issue.
You sre altogether wrong when you say
our club is composed of ''as it were mem-
bers of one big family" Out OF member
ship of thirty-fve there is but one Manning
and seven Richardson's belonging to it.
vas somewhat surprised you should
comment on the words. political prefer
ment" and 'plums of office in my letter,
seeing it was but 8 quotation from the
headlines in your article of the paper Of
The 21st August, and though not literal
were words to the same effect. Though I
fail to see how have merited such lengthy
and vcluminous criticism at your hands, I
do not wish it to be understood am
averse to the practice. So far from object
| ing to it, am a staunch believer in the
good it can effect, and only wish enough
such work were done-tairly and without
influencing motiyes-when ! feel sure
great good would be done our country and
the public worth of man would be COM
mensurate with their private lives at home.
In conclusion I wish to add. in justice to
Mr.. J. N. Richardson. that he was entirely
ignorant of our correspondence and the
cause which prompted your article in the
Times Of August 21st. His letter was writ
ten without my knowledge also. and I
learned of it after the lapse Of some days.
Had MIR. Richardton been acquainted with
the facts. it is most likely his letter would
not have been sent TO you.
HENRY B. RICHARDSON.