The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-06-05
THE HAVE BEENS.

OF all things in this world truth-an IN
palatable TRUTHS the hardest to be ad-
mitted
We hear q great deal said about the des-
perate condition of South Carolina. Our
people 60 away from home frequently to
learn from strangers how really desperate
our condition is, but the solemn and unde-
nia5le truth is that the State as yet is in
the hands of her own peop.e-some of the
same people who have ever been identified
with her fortunes and her destiny-who
have fought her battles, who have titled
her fields and wrought in her workshops.
They have changed their leaders in some
material respects, it is true, and the inter-
ference and espionage Of the Federal gov
ernment has been invoked to properly
punish the atrocious criniuality of this
proceeding; the condemnation Of the
civilized world has been called down upon
us, and the calamities thus brought about
and other still more dire calamitieS of
which we live in hopes are anticipated in
consequence of this unprecedented de-
pravity of our people. But we don't really
believe we are gong to the demnition bow
vows. 1t only accords with our present
hulnor to profess to believe so.
We reverence Hampton and Butler ard
others for what they have been, and we ex-
perience some natural chargin at the rude
ness with which practlca! politics has
showed our idols at the risk OF injuring
some portion Of their personality. but in
heart of hearts we recognize the fact that
they belong to past rather than to current
history. We know that they have no po.
litical influence any lorger in the State;
we realize that tire factors with whom We
have to deal are the Nllmans, the Evanses
and the Irbys. The very men who apoth-
eotise Hampton in their professions daily
and who daily consien Tillnlan, Evans and
Irby to eternal perdition are those who are
never seen paying real tribute to the de-
parting luminaries, but may be found al
most daily cooling their heels in the ante
chambers OF besieging b! letter and peti-
ton the new factors in government and
politics for farors small or great.
I'VE 'cuss' you out in public, lat, Of
course, we known, privately speaking You
are good fellows. It's all politics. and YOU
can't blame US for playing the game"
The Barnwells, the Hemphills, the Nc
Gowans, ETC., are rendy and willing to go
in with the Tillmans, the Evanse and the
Irbys, but they arc not wiling to let the
people get together without Il compact
which will recognize their importance in
the deal"
But what Is the interest of the State at
large Or of Charleston in particular in
these personal politics?
We have had some bad and unfortunate
laws foisted on us through the adverse IN
huence of these factious hostlities, which
have been fomented in the main by the
defeated leaders-laws which would have
been impossible of enactment had the
people of the State been united il iraternal
aud friendly interest, and laws which, IN
their very nature, can only be proio Sed
indefinitely by the perpetuatlon OF this un-
natural division among our people.
Take the dipensary law, which bears so
hard add uDjustly on large class of our
people In its inception it was revolt
against the too free and we'll nigh unll-
censed traffic in liquor which obtained IN
the State under former conditions. From
the extreme Of license it violently, though
perhaps naturally, oscillated to the extreme
of 4 government monopoly IN the traffic,
predicated on the erroneous basis OF the
States powers of police regulation, and
bsfore low, we are convinced. It would
have srayitated to the true solution OF high
license and stricter governmental! sur
yeillance had not the spirit Of faction
seized upon it for political uses and ldenti-
fed its maintenance or Abandonment with
the fortunes of the majority and minority
factions of the white party in the State.
Let us have done with these unnatural
divisions; let US recognize The fact that
other people may be as good and homes: as
we are and have the same rights that We
have, and it will be long step toward
curing our political and natural ills.