The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-12-01
rates THAI Sc charged to private indi-
/ vi5uals.

s:on of careful consideration, fair.
lust. AID wholesome in its provisions,
slowing the handiwork OF an intelll
gent indea and the ap0rnciation Of the
,r uting business, and l dare csy, the
author Of that Ac. was actuated by s
high business sense and g consclen
tious di. ~ha~ee Of duty--compensatlon
was 10 3, SLOWED the publisher tol
public no: :2s at q fair pres, or on the
same basis snd terms he was willing
to ccptre c: for with privase i1dlvidu
sis This Act placed the publisher IL
fair relation to those charged with
the duty OF publishing legal notices,
aEd with sense of justice TO hlnsel:
snd to the public, and IN all self re
spect he could do sucn work.
Every enterprising publisher OF q
newspaper properly desires to afford
to his patrons all information to be
derived from the publication OF legal
notices. Every self-res oecting pub
Usher will strenuously sdhere TO such
conditions of publishing advertise
ments as will uphold high character
for his work, both as TO It's execution
and it's fairness. TIE Act last shove
quoted is well suited to secure the bes'
results aud properly protec. all inter
ests involved in such publications.
This. however. does not seem 70 have
been so regarded by our present law
makers. The General Assembly c1
1894 re enacted the provisions Tor co n
pensation for advertisements ofp1hic
notices which the Act of 1875 Contain
ed, adding the provision That the
caption to notices shall be atthe rate o!
i've cents per word" This last &C. was
not ap proved by the Governor, and
became law without bis approval
under the provisions of Section % OF
Article III of the Constitution ot
1868, and Sectioa % of Article " Q;
the Constitution Of 1855
This last Act is open to cbj C.
ton, as reasonable as that mad
against the Act OF 1875, and
is even more Objectionable, in that the
last clause presents to the weak g
temptation to make money at the ex
pense OF integrity aud fair desllng.
The dishonest are afforded an ooportU
nifty to make ca2tion, so that st I've
cents word money could be realized
that an honest man would not have
while the honest publisher must DC
fair work, fer which he cannot obtain
Just compensation.
Legislation tending towards encour
aging or opening the way for unsccu
palous conduct IS wrong IN principle,
vicious, and destructive to the inter
ests most to be guarded and !ns:ered
L msy b. argued by some IN support
o. this last Act that it is not obllga
tory upon the publisher OF ne eTspa
per to advertise public notices. Slco,
however, would be the nerest sophis
try. 1t is not from a legal sonse obi
gatcry, bit from a business and s
professional sense it is obligatory up
oa the publisher of newspaper
to afford his patrons all the ad
vantages and benefits Of all matters
concerning the public; out I conteno
that right and justice make it a hua-
6red fold more obligatory upon tee
representatives OF the government,
the persons honored and charged
with properly guarding ell puolic in
terests to furnish to the people
through the best attainable channel CT
medium, notices o: all such matters
as cone within the Act. I do not ad
nit tnatthe law making po.er has
right to tx the price ots printers
charges. unless the rule Of Might
makes Right" for il is my honesi
opinion that ifa test were made, the
Courts would say it is violation Of
the rights intended to be given citizens
By the trainers of our constitution
The public inlerests should not be sub
served at thu expens, aud charge Of
the newspaper publishers, or any
other respectable private enterprise.
Where public interests require that
the individuals property should b:
surrendered for public use, provlsor
Eas made to secure to the citizen JUS
and fair compensation for his proper
ty. On like sound, equitable basi:
should the newspaper publisher re
ceiye compensation for the use Of hi:
property. fair remuneration under re
gulations that the honorable publisher
can be protected By, and that the
venal cannot make available for Cor
rupt practices. The venal! thanks tc
the worthy, courageous, and honor
able heltnsmen of The press, the dark
days are past; the unreliable and cor
rupt have been driven from our ranks
and today the newspaper fraternity O.
the Stste are worthy The respsct. the
confidence, the esteem, and kindly re
gard OF all the citiZ ms OF this graoC
old Commonwealth, and in all mat
ters Of public notices, the newspaper:
should receive fair compensation or
such terus as the same class of WORK
would oe performed by honorable
men with fixed business principles.
1t is wrong; it is not in the interes
Of the public good for SO important al
institution as the Press tc be hamperec
| and crippled by lsw makers, who, tc
| win little no.osiaty, pose before Ii;
p1olic as economists, 10 jlnp upoI
| !ae newspao oers and cat into the com
pensati2n tDey receive for very in por
Iant work. l venture tc say the; tn
leg sislators, who were 50 anx,oc5 10 re
rolutionz7 the printers lraue By d.
ling away with toe ''far al Tins" cas-
ION o. measurement, and II lieu there
Q! pu: the printers TO the troa5.e 0
couliipg each word, had act tn
Esightrs. idea the ccSt OF setting type
or the ordinary expenses OF 3 ne "s9a
| p.r. These same econcmis:s re
duced thepay OF the printer, and whel
Einey go before The people tney Wiz
:grest s2oT OF sincerity, tel how fam
fully they lahored f0r the peoples 70
;erestS, and Gle reduction OF possi
big one hundred dollars a year II th
sincome CT Editor wao Was lo(
| poor 10 Guy d suit Of clothes to uake
presentaole appearance al The lr4eelio
where the s'a esman q was harangu
ling the dear people. The peop!
no!5sIns conveiSant w!Ln 70
(! fac!s and - yaeS re35y 10 h.y