The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-05-14
THINK WELL BEFORE SIGNING PETITIONS
FOR CANDIDATES.

The political a agitat0rs are about
to begin in earnest, heretofore
ali of this talk and speech-mah-
inc was nothing more than the
advance guard making demon
strations to make and feel SEN
timent. It becomes our duty to
follow in the wake Of these agi-
tators and point out to the people
what we deem is to their detrl-
ment. :'There are tricks in all
trades" and in this particular
political agitation the tricksters
have played a cunning game, but
in our opinion, when exposed the
people will stamp it out. We
call their methods tricks and de-
velopments will justify such a
characterization. What are the
methods so far: first, the forma-
tion of combination Of men
who we're no longer than two
years ago opposed to each other;
second, to select one for destruc-
ton who is in position that mon
ey, political favor and nothing
else can buy, and by this comb
nation or intrigue accomplish
that which would fail with the
people if merit were relied upon,
third. the head conSpirator in
the scheme to protect certain in
terests, wants to be sent to the
General Assembly, but with
great pretense he will not pose
as candidate, and lays much
stress upon his private affairs,
at the same time he has
friends who will circulate a petit
ton asking him to become a can
didate, and in that event he
mounts a pedestal of patriotism
and responds to the call regard
less Of how the petition came to
be putin circulation or who is pro
cured to circulate it. This trick
is an old one, it has been worked
elsewhere and its purpose is to
shackle free white men in ad-
vance, by binding them in writing
to support a candidate in advance
of the primary; a practice, which
if not resented, will pervert the
primary into a throttling ma
chine far worse than the old-time
convention system. A man who
has spark of independence will
regard any attempt to bind him
in advance of the primary, an in
suit to his manhood and will sic
his dogs upon the circulator of
such a petition. This is a free
country and any man who feels
qualified to represent an intelli-
gent people should be willing to
come square out like a man and
take his chances like all other
candidates. But if he realizes
that he is not qualified for the
place he seeks, and that his ad-
versary may be able to show up
his lack of qualification and also
the motive prompting his candi-
dacy, the binding of voters by
petition in advance of the prima-
ry will no doubt be to his advan-
tage, for he knows that many
voters if they sign such a peti-
ton will feel obligated to either
cast their vote for the man they
petitioned for, Or stay away from
the polls, regardless of what
may develope in the campaign.
We earnestly warn white men
against the petition trick. If
you favor a man vote for him,
but do not sign away your man.
hood. the only thing a free man
can boast of. There is great dan
ger ahead of the people, and it
is our duty to sound the alarm;
for several years past, there has
been a decided activity on the
part of combined capital, these
Combinations are known as COR
porations, which, under a char
ter from the Secretary of State
have certain legal advantages,
and from year to year they seek
more power, to the extent that
the encrouchments upon the
people through the General AS
sembly is becoming a matter OF
serious consideration, and the
people cannot help but realize the
harmful effect of this combined
capital by legislative aid. How is
it done? A few individuals organ
ize a ''joint stock company" Sc
cure charter, then they COM
bine several similar ''joint stock
companies" and form trust. "
The trust when formed, either
buys or crushes out competition
and the people become the vic
tins of this vampire. AS an IL
lustration, we point to the cot
ton seed oil mills, and as these
come in the direct view of our
farmers we will attempt to show
the danger of having corporation
people in the General Assembly.
Everybody knows that since the
"trust" has taken hold Of the
cotton seed manufacture the pro-
duct has been steadily advancing
in price, and that the mills not
in the trust are out because
the trust would not let them in:
notwithstanding this, the outside
mills will not undertake to COM
oate with tho truSt. thew would