The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-02-06

the approval Oi the people III every
detail before it had beer tested in OPP
Grafton; and hence. were j; the most
perfect of Constitutions. the costs OF
making it would probably be wasted
if it must be referred back to the peo-
pie. But if accepted it must be as it
comes from the Convention. without
adding to or taking from. If, there
fore, the people are to have their say
in regard to their Constitution it
should be not after the work is done.
but before; the delegates should no
where be named by meetings. for in
these the average citizen takes no
part.
A COMPROMISE OF INDIVIDUAL. OPIN-
The Constitution must be made and
put upon us by one hundred and sixty
men, and must be largely compro-
mise of the individual opinions of
this small number. The character of
the Constitution would be as uncer-
tain as the turn of die We're delegates
selected with regard simply to their
personal prominence and worth. But
as long as we do not depa: from our
theory of representative government
we shall run no such risk. If all the
men of a county with the prerequisite
qualifications of character, to be true
to their trust and intelligence, to be
competent to carry out their purposes,
are urged to 60 before the people as
candidates and present their views
| backed by every bulwark of truth
they can bring to their support. in
structing the people in the principles
of government and becoming them
selves instructed by the new thoughts
which debate develops, the minds of
the opposing candidates, of the people
and Of the press will all be stimulated,
and the result will be that any one
| hundred and sixty of all these candi-
dates in the State could then make a
better Constitution than they could
have made without this friction which
generates thought But the one hun
dred and sixty elected (if reason is
permitted to rule will unquestionably
make the best possible Constitution
for South Carolina in this last decade
of the nineteenth century.
CONSENSUS OF SOUTH CAROLINA
THOUGHT.
They will be the exponents of the
consensus of South Carolina thought
as to South Carolina needs and pur-
poses. What they agree upon will
prove to have been the resultant Of the
various intellectual and moral forces
of South Carolina-the high-water
mark of her governmental develop
ment at this time And we must re-
member that no State should have a
Constitution for which she is not by
internal evolution prepared. More,s
Utopia, like Lockes Institutes of Gev-
ernment, would be a dismal failure
That government is best which is the
product of the genius of its people.
MERE LEGISLATION SHOULD BE EXCLU
DED.
In illustration of the business of
these principles, consider the disposi-
ton of many to incorporate into Con-
stitutions matters of mere legislation:
All legislation is experimental and
liable to early repeal or modification.
What folly it would be to one hun
dred and sixty men, whose opinions
on this head had not been thoroughly
sifted, the power to embody in the
Constitution statutory laws which
would be almost as Interchangeable as
the laws Of the Medes and Persians,
Proper discussion before the people
should result in a general acceptance
Of the only safe rule, which is to put
in the Constitution only fundamental
principles and policies on which all
agree, and are confident of continuing
to agree, leaving the people ample
power to deal through the Legislature
with any problems that may arise.
Matters of legislation should be lett
for future political and legislative
forensic contests, as physical, social,
intellectual and moral conditions shall
unfold.
PUT CANDIDATES ON OATH.
If such a canvass and such an cleo
ton as above indicated can be held,
then the Constitution will be the pro-
duct of the best thought of the State,
vindicated as such before the calm
reason of the people. In such a can
vass present divisions would be oblit-
Grated and new and temporary align
ments would be made, as should be
the case if debate is not a mockery.
But such canvass is impossible un-
less we can keep off both evil and i'll
advised quack remedies. Fortunately
we have at hand the means of doing
this-the primary provided for State
officers by the new Democratic Con
stitution By requiring of the candl-
date an oath that he is not put for
ward by any faction or cliques it
forces him to stand on his merits and
the merits of his views, and leaves the
voter to exercise his free choice This
amendment OF the party Constitution
is worthy of admiration, for it is a
long step towards perfecting popular
government. Now of all times do we
need its beneficial operation.
A PRIMARY SHOULD BE HELD.
The State executive committee
should provide for the nomination Of
delegates to the Convention by a pri-
mary held in all the counties on the
same day after canvass, and pledges
similar to those required of State can
vassers by the new Democratic Con-
stitution.
The distinguished patriots who COM
pose the party doubtless contemplate
such canvass, and they and the Con-
vention they have called can concen-
trate in it's behalf the moral forces Of
the State.
STRONG AND SIGNIFICANT.
III seem to regard the Democratic
party as ''the people" that is my
meaning. I am not prepared to say
that in 1860 the South fought for mere
slavery and for no principle and the
results of forcible violation Of consti-