The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1901-08-14

inexhaustible supply of ammunition.
And neither will the voters endorse
that reign of carpet-bag government IN
our new possessions, but demand for
these islands honest and business-like
administration. These annual raids
upon our national treasury to pension
deserters and camp-followerS needs re-
form.
In fact. there are q hundred or more
living issues from which the Democrats
can frame their next platform, without
continuing to thrash over that old
populist straw for the West.
are willing to accord Mr.. Bryan credit
for honesty of purpose, aad fitting
praise for the untiring fight he has
made for their party, at the same time
they will not longer submit to his dlcta-
tion, and when he attempts to say to
the sovereign voter of South Carolina
and other States who they must send to
political conventions and who they
Shall rule out of their party. and then
try to enchain them again to that old
Kansas City corpse, it is time to call a
halt on Mr.. Bryan, and tell him that
the intelligent voters of our party are
competent to do their thinking and rul-
ing out.
do not set myself up in opposition
to the united wisdom of my party, IN
convention assembled, and when the
| Democrats again meet and formulate a
platform and nominate a ticket, shall
lloyally support that platform and its
standard bearers, even if they are in
direct opposition to what have advo-
Gated. And there are many thousands
of Democrats in the South who are with
me.
| But 1 do contend, as an individual
+! Democrat that have right to advise
and urge such notifications and chang
es in our platform as I honestly believe
will promote the success Of our party,
the upbuilding of our country, and the
happiness and prosperity OF its people.
The Kansas City platform is~a dead
issue, and we must noE--go ID work and
construct new platform. Every Dem
ocrat, it matters not how humble or
obscure may be- his position, has Alright
to advance such thoughts ard suggest
ions as his Judgment tells him will be
! best for his party, without being oStra-
cised and denounced.
| yield to Mr.. Bryan.the right to urge
upon our party to hold to our old plat
form, but, at the same time, have an
equal right to differ with him, without
being politically accommodated.
Out of multitude of counsel comes
wisdom" In our DeXt national con-
vention I want to see every element
and shade of Democracy represented
and every delegate given full and
free opportunity to express and defend
his views. By mutual concession, any
party can then formulate q broad and
liberal platform, that will draw togeth-
er the different warning elements and
features, and by presenting united
and unbroken front to the enemy, win
a lasting victory.
But suppose Mr.. Bryan succeeds IN
ruling out of our party every Democrat
who Goes not swear allegiance to the
Kansas City platform? You would see
our party worse torn up and dismem-
! bered than during the last elections,
and we had as we'll disband at once.
And where is the need Of even hold
ing another Democratic convention II
any such gag-rule is applied? Why
not let Mr.. Bryan, through his paper,
issue a proclamation declaring that the
Kansas City platform will remain the
Democratic platform and then name
our next standard-bearer.
I believe the prospects for Democrat
ic success are brighter than since the
war, if we will only exercise common
sense and not make our party, any close
corporation. Don't try to keep the
people from hearing both sides OF any
and every question. Let there be the
fullest and freest discussion OF all pub
llic issues. Our voters are patriotic
and intelligent, and will not make any
mistakes, when they cast tt.elr ballots.
South Carolina is an iron-ribbed Demo
cratic State, and will remain in the
democratic column. If any candidate
is tainted with Republicanism, the
people will not support him.
But the independent and free-born
voters OF the old Palmetto State will
never submit to Mr.. VIM. J. Bryan, or
an outsider and stranger, acting as
their self-constituted political guar
dian, and debating for whom they snail
vote.
Our South Carolinians are Democrats,
and will ever remain Democrats: but
they are intelligent men, who think
and reason for themselves and they can
listen to the sides of any political
question without danger of contamina-
tion. We are free men, We live in q
free country, and our people believe IN
free speech and free ballot.
In my next article will discuss the
financial situation. And let me just
there sta that 1 am not writing these
articles either in the interest or at the
request of Mr. McLaurin, for I am non
committed so far as the senatorial con-
test is concerned. I have been asked
to write a series OF articles for our
State papers, on the same line that /
have adopted for nearly two years past
before the Kansas City convention.
And neither am I writing for any
nloneyed consideration, but simply to
employ my leisure moments, and to
advocate such a course as believe will
further the success of my larty
It is my intention to discuss all pub
lie issues calmly and dispassionately,
and appeal rot to the passion and pre-
judices, but to the intelligence and
common sense of the people.
Imay be wrong in my views and am
always ready to acknowledge an error
when convinced.
L. T. CAN'T.