The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-07-14
SHARP PRACTICE WON'T WORK.

Ii IQeTe ever WIS q oOl4i4N"- iAoN'N
man, it is Col. J. L. N. Irby. He
has taken up an idea that he can bave
John McLaurin defeated by taking
advantage of every little remark that
may be dropped by any OF NcLaur-
ms friends. Last Wednesday after
noon, the edito, of The TINES IN a
friendly conversation with a repre-.
sentative of the Charleston .Post,
replied in response to question,
that "Irby is not in it. I'll bet money
he will not carry Laurens. lrby
took hold Of the remark as text for
his speech at Hibernian hall. He
affected great indignation, and with
violent language undertook to mis-
lead his audience into believing that
McLaurin's friend had given cut an
interview which was reflection upon
his character and slanderous and dis
respectful. Irby simply attempted
to win sympathy for himself from the
audience at the expense of The TINES
editor, but we had too much respect
for the people OF Charleston to allow
them bpncoed by this political fakir.
As soon as we could obtain permls-
sion from Chairman Barnwell, we
called Colonel Irby to staudstill and
explained how the remark was made,
assuring him that no disrespect was
intended; we then read from the
paper the language attributed to US.
When we took our seat several gen
tlemen turned TO US and said that if
Irby was the right kind Of man he
would never have attempted his
"horse play" and after our explana-
ton he would have apolosized.
They do not know Mr.. Irby. His
affected indignation was for the news
papers, to reach the up country and
for the purpose of stirring up the
boys. Irby acknowledges that he is
playing game of politics He re-
sorts to all kinds of sharp tricks to
hoodwink the people, but he will
find it case of ''it used to be the
caper, but it don't go now.
10 prove Chat Irby's Indignation
was affected, we met him on the street
Just before going to the speaking and
we stopped and had Il very pleasant
conversation with him. Ii he felt
offended at what we playfully said TO
a reporter, he showed 40 signs of it.
Tie reporter quoted us correctly and
we so stated, yet Irby tried to twist
our disclaimer Of disrespect into Civ
ing the reporter "the lie" The re-
porter, who is Mr.. McMaster, was
present and we turned to him and
asked if he so regarded our statement
and lis reply came prompt, ':No,
Irby is a fool" Irby attempted to
make political capital out Of the Incl
dent just as he did out of the Sumter
incident. He insulted the Sumter
audience, because they applauded a
retort from McLaurin, and after call
ing them city henchmen, when the
fact is about three-fourths of the
audience was made up Of country
Reformers, he had the cheek to ap-
peal to the Conservatives for support,
We told the Charleston 'Post" re-
porter that we would bet that Irby
will not carry Laurens, not with the
intention Of being disrespectfu!, Tor
ii would be cruel 70 speak disrespect-
full OF the dead, but it was an opinion
that we have q right to eXp~ess and
since the episode we have luforma-
ton which confirms the opinion.
Good men from Laurens assure Us
that Irby will not carry that County.
At the Charleston meeting We
could have exposed lIr. Irby's game,
had we been disposed to do SO, but
We knew the people OF that city We're
accustomed to see stage performances
and if they knew nothing Of the man
before, they learned enough on that
occasion to convince them that he was
fooling himself a great deal more than
he fooled his hearers.