The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-03-13
"Let the People Rule"

SAo HS Hae-o = OoeA''So "N~o 49, "
fanny, and crime was committed
against Anglo-Saxon civilization when
it was forced upon the South. It
had to be thrown off by fair means or
any means that were necessary, and
the means used have been justified
by all who have been elected to office
in and since 1876, and by all who
have voted and participated in and
enjoyed the fruits of these elections.
Where would South Carolina be to-
day? where would white supremacy
be? where would the negro himself
be? if what some call fair elections
were allowed.
We come now to te present consti-
tuition. What is it? Who made it? ?
TIE ':fallacy Of confusion" was used
to perfection and one OF the notable
features Of the last campaign was
that while nearly every candidate de-
nounced the present constitution as a
Radical rag not one of them dared
discuss it on its merits, and no arti-
Gle or section was shown to be in
furious to our interests, that could
not be remedied by amendments, and
without cost to our people. They
knew the new one was not intended
to be submitted to the white people.
But when the political fortunes OF
some of them began to wane then
they cried out for its submission to
the people. Radical Rag" was used
as a political trump card to catch
votes.
Did the brains OF radicals and
scalawags formulate and enact the
present constitution? If SO, they
were wise and profound, experienced
and learned men. But they were not
wise and profound, experienced or
learned IN legal and constitutional
questions. They could not and did
not make the present constitution.
Our white people from prejadice
and passion refused to enter the con-
vention of 1868. This they after
wards repented. At this crisis Gov
ernor James Z. Orr issued an address
to the white people urging and en-
treating them to send delegates to
this convention in order to save and
secure their material interests, and
he plead with the colored delegates
beseeching them rot to abuse their
freedom, not to en6eavor to oppress
their former masters He plead as
only James L. Orr could plead for
his country and people. It was ow-
ing to bis influence, and to that
Divinity that shapes our ends,
rough hew them how we will" that
instead Of constitution ode novo"
being made, the constitutions Of
Ohio and New York were adopted
and followed. These constitutions
were the result and evolution of
white civilization working out the
problems of government. White
men with their wives and children
around them working out the great
principles of taxation, free schools,
and the great American principle of
the homestead law under which to-
day three-fourths of the homes of the
State are secured to the people, and
food and shelter to the mothers and
little children. The free public
schools and the homestead law are
the foundation stones, the bed rocks
of the present constitution. Will
you destroy them or will yoa take
them without credit and rear upon
them new constitution? What
then becomes OF your prejudice
against the Radical rag?" Doyou
not convict yourselves of glaring in
consistency in lashing yourselves to
fury against a constitution that in
these days of calamity is the only
thing that gives the masses of the
people education and a shelter for
their heads. The homestead law,
radical though it be called, says to
the extortioners aad to those who
"devour widows houses" and who
now but for it would be sweeping
away the homes Of the people like an
inrushing sea, "thus far shalt thou
come, but no further, and here shall
thy proud waves be stayed" The
free schools say "let there be light"
Let the darkness of ignorance and
sin and iniquity be gone. Is it the
purpose (and it is so declared by
many to eclipse this light by taking
away the two mill tax? Such pol
icy will consign the masses to igno-
rance and slavery. Is this your idea
Of ssequal rights to all and special ia
vors to none?" While crying out for
higher education, to let the strong
and unscrupulous bloom and flourish
at the expense of the poor plow-boys
whose votes took many of you from
obscurity and placed you in office?
Tax them to support high schools
and colleges, and then place a three
dollar poll tax on them whether their
children 60 to school or not? Keep
them in ignorance and then disfran-
chise them for being poor and igno-
rant? Pauperize them through ig-
norance and then disfranchize them
for being poor? Is that reform ?
Mr.. George Pringle tells US substan-
TALLY that a white man who can't
read and write is an ass and has no
right to vote, etc.
How came it to pass that there are
from ten to fifteen thousand illiterate
white men in South Carolina to-day?
Who are and were they and their
fathers, good enough to dare and die
for their country?
Tell us, you 'guiding stars" who