The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-04-07
AN OPEN LETTER
In Which Remarkable Inconsistencies OF 3
Paper are Exposed.

To the Editor OF The Register:
Isee you take issue with Congress
man McLaurin upon his proposition
TO give cotton planters equal rights
under the law with the wheat growers
and others. You claim that 1t gives
the cotton planter special privileges,
and is therefore q violation of time
houored Democratic doctrines
If all other industries have special
privileges, how is the cotton planter to
keep even with the others unless the
same rights are extended to hiu2
Your paper owes its present infu.
ence and is getting most OF its profits
from special privileges in the way Of
government printing. Have you de-
cIined to accept special privileges be-
cause all the other newspapers in the
State Go not get them?
It would seem, Mr.. E1itor, that you
want all the special privileges from
the farmers you can get, but are will
ing TO grant them zone, in return.
Your paper in order to increase its
circulation, advocated the demands Of
the Alliance, sub-treasury and all,
with the special privileges to the far
mer of borrowing money from the
government at per cent. You sTal-
lowed that.
Was it because you thought you
would never be called upon to support
it2 When you are confronted by
practical proposition to help the farm
er you kick" You say it will do no
good.
How dc you know; has it ever been
tried? It will certainly do no harm.
What other concrete practical propo-
sition has been made in behalf Of the
farmer? None. What do you proposea
Plow on ia the same old way, allow
ing him to be robbed. McLaurin says
he is unalterably opposed to protec-
ton; that the protected industries OF
the east have been robbing the balance
of the country, and we should demand
exact and equal privileges under all
laws. This is fair proposition. Mr.
Editor, if you were on principal OF
posed to the free school system, yet
when that system was once fastened
upon the community by law, you
would not fail to send your children
to the school and take all the adyan-
sages that you could. You are forced
to pay your share OF the taxes and
whether you approve OF the principal
or not, you have perfect right to
your share of the benefits. This is all
McLaurin claims.
On, no, Mr. Editor, the world do
move" It IS an age OF progress. Gov
cred with printers ink, and never see
ing the glorious MONDAY sun except
through the smoky pains of the win
dow, you may not De aware Of the
fact, but the farmers of this country :
have been educated for ten years to
the doctrines of equal rights" and if
other classes have special privileges,
they intend to have tnen too or know
the reason why.
SsMr. Editor, irrespective OF whether
the price of Allen long staple or Sea
Island cotton would be raised by this
duty or not, as q matter of principal,
McLaurin is right, and am sorry to
see you arrayed on the other side, and
to fne The State and The News and
Courier, old ancient enemies, falrer
to the f:.rmers than you are.
The cotton ties and bagging, the
pIows, hoes, hamestrings and every
thing the farmer uses in making cot.
ton is protected, and yet you oppose
On principal the same protection being
given to cotton.
Wheat is protected from Canada and
bound with free twine, yet you leave
the cotton planter to be piundered by
pauper labor OF Egypt and South
America. What about the Wilson
biil2 The South Carolina delegation
voted for it solidly. Did you raise
your voice on principle" to protest
against protection for wheat and cornf
An, Mr.. Editor, your liver must b.
out of gear. Daniel j. Bradham.
Manning, March 81, 1897.