The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-08-01
o,,P sTANDARD-BEARERs.
AN EXCUSE FOR POLITICS.


tai is being made of Senator Till
mans assertion that the preach
ers and barkeepers are in an un-
holy alliance led by Col. Hoyt to
destroy the dispensary." We
have not the slightest idea that
Senator Tillman intended to con-
vey the impression that there ex-
listed a written, or even a verbal
agreement between the preach
ers and barkeeperS, but that both
the preachers and the barkeep-
ers are working for the same
end-the destruction of the dis
pensary. No one doubts that
high motives are prompting the
clergy, and in their zeal for a
cause which they regard a rell-
gious one, they do not stop to
consider the practical results;
the one leading idea with them
is to bring about condition OF
holiness which they think ought
to exist. The barkeepers and
anti -dispensary forces are taking
advantage of the religious fervor
of the preachers to destroy the
dispensary, and without any for
NAL agreement or alliance, they
have tackled on to the preachers
in the effort to kill the dispen-
sary, thus making the preachers
and barkeepers enlisted IN the
same cause, but with different
motives.
Senator Tillman's blunt and
harsh statement has aroused the
resentment of the preachers and
they, with a show of righteous
Indignation, are using the Sena-
tors statement as cudgel to
WELD over the heads Of church
members to make votes for Col.
Hoyt. We have no idea that
there is preacher in South Car
0lina who thinks Senator Till
man meant that the preachers
and barkeepers had actually
made a compact, but all the same
it gives them material for an ex-
cuse to electioneer for Col. Hoyt,
and they are not failing to take
advantage of it. We do not know
what effect the preachers are 60
ing to have in this election; they
are large body and should have
influence, but if the preachers
continue messing in politics an
injurious effect on the church
is bound to be the final
result. We read where this
and that preacher has condemn
ed the opinion expressed by Sen
ator Tillman, but nowhere have
we read where the preachers
have expressed approval of Gov
ernor McSweeney's course IN the
Florence matter, where he did
his sworn duty, and showed to
the people that he was a man
who cared more for his oath than
he did for the votes of a mob.
No, but had Governor McSwee-
ney acted in accordance with the
wishes of the mob, the preachers
would have denounced him, and
for fear that their candidate, Col.
Hoyt, may lose votes: they with
hold the praise Governor Nc
Sweeney so justly merits.
We are thoroughly convinced
that the present prohibition
movement is politics pure and
simple, engineered by politicians
for the purpose Of getting con
troll Of the official positions. The
politicians have shrewdly man
aged to get the preachers on
their side, by protesting to advo-
cate d moral principle; this pro-
fession has caught a great many
good men who will say they have
no idea that we can have prohi
bition, but the fact that the ques-
ton is here, they must record
their votes IN favor OF the prop
osition, and leave the results
with God. Then there are other
men equally as good, who take
the view that every man is en-
dowed with the faculty Of think
ing for himself and that God will
hold him responsible, if by his
act or vote he brings about a
condition worse than we have
now. We agree with the latter
view, to cast vote for prohibi-
ton when We believe that such a
condition will bring about worse