The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-09-04
We Did Our Duty.

one of roses, because 1t often nap
pens that he deems it his duty to say
unpleasant things even about his
personal friends.
Now, the editor of this paper would
not give offense to any one simply
for the sake Of giving offense, but in
the performance of a duty should he
offend with that-as with any other
duty erformed-the responsibility
rests Upon him.
Just prior to the last election we
discovered that the white men OF
this county and State were about to
be the victims of the secret organ
izing Of the negroes to capture the
Constitutional convention, and, feel
ing the responsibility Of the position
we occupy, we went to work to sound
the warning to our fellow-eitizens.
We did not wait until our paper
could get out, but as soon as we
learned the movements OF the enc
my we hastened to send out the in
formation through personal com
munieations by mail.
Among those we wrote to was
Major Henry B. Richardson Of Full
ton, who, with the editor Of The
TINES, was in honor bound to ''act
with and in subordination to the
State and county Democratic exec
utive committees. In our communi-
cation to Major Richardson we posi-
lively asserted as fact that the ne
groes had held secret meetings and
nominated a ticket, and called upon
him to let the news be spread, and
our reason for selecting him as the
medium to have this news spread
was because he had been honored by
the people of Clarendon with seat
in the State Legislature; was re-
Gently selected to represent them in
a State convention, and, to our
knowledge, he voted for the resolu-
tion adopted by said convention
which pledged its members to "act
with and in subordination to the
State and county Democratic exec
utive committees" In other words,
we regarded Major Richardson a
public man, always ready and will
ing to perform public duty, es-
pecially when white mans rule"
was threatened with danger.
We received an answer from the
Major, which was a surprise as well
Us mortifying to us, and in order that
our readers may be put in full pos
session OF the facts, we publish the
answer, which is as follows:
FULTON, August II, 1895.
DEAR AppELT - Your p. c. received.
There il 10 belief here that any such
movement is on foot. Some look on it as
o trick to secure votes Of Conservatives.
It would be hard TO get men so ''set on" to
move politically in any way. All quiet here.
Yours truly. II. B. r.
Our readers will bear in mind that
we occupy not only the responsible
position Of Democratic newspaper
editor, but occupied Tor the election
referred to a more responsible posi-
ticn still-one on which the success
of the Democratic party depended
largely. It was our duty as soon as
we ssfound the Democratic ticket
threatened with opposition to let
the fact be known, so that the white
men Of the county could be prepared
for any emergency to sustain white
supremacy.''
Naturally, on receiving Major
Richardson's response, under the cir
cumstances we felt that he was
writing for his section when he said
that ''some look on it as q trick to
secure votes Of Conservatives
OF course, anyone would come to
the conclusion from this-that the
people of Fulton believed that we
were trying to trick them, certainly
not a high estimation of as. Then,
again, he gave US to understand that
the people of the Fulton section did !
not believe our assertion when we |
wrote positively that the negroes /
had nominated ticket. This is our
construction of what he meant when
he said there is no belief here that
any such movement is on foot" In
other words, We lied.
This information from Major Rich
ardson brought US to the conclusion
that the people of Fulton were not
going to lend their assistance to the
Democratic ticket, composed of white
men whose standing in the county
can not be questioned, although said
ticket was opposed by Republican
negroes.
At least one of the white men on
the Democratic ticket has done as
much for his country as any man in
the Fulton section, and will carry to
the grave the mark Of his devotion
to his country. And when such q y
man is threatened with opposition
by negroes, and white men on ac-
count Of petty factional spite hold Il
off and say lit is a trick to get them !
to vote" we would be recreant to !
our trust did we not herald such con-l Il
duct to the world.
But, besides the card from Major !
Richardson, we had the resolution =,
adopted by the Fulton club to ar ,
rive at a conclusion. The resolution Ii