The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-10-22
A REPORTERS FRESHNESS MAKES MA
TERIAL FOR OUR ENEMIES.

ERIAL HON OON GNAN-4-Ss
A reporter for the News and
Courier last Friday endeavored
to create a futter in political cir
cles by making an impression
which had no foundation what
ever. We had business in Charles
ton, and it so happened that Sen
ator McLaurin had business there
also, neither expected to meet
the other, but there being a va
cancy in the Office of Collector OF
Customs, this enterprising re-
porter takes advantage of the
incident of McLaurin and ourselt
being in the city at the same
time, to misrepresent the Senator
by intimating that he was there
to confer with District Attorney
Capers to give US this position.
The position of Collector was at
one time a very juicy plum, but
it has no attraction now for a
man who has employment. At
one time it paid about $500, last
year it paid about $500. The
falling of is due to the lack of
imports and exports to and from
Charleston. Aside from any
political considerations we could
not be persuaded to accept po-
sition requiring 100000 bond
for an income Of 5000 per year
even if there was any likelihood
Of the position being offered to
US. If the place paid $500 a
year and it was rendered to US
we have no hesitency in saying
we would take it quick, and not
sacrifice our political principles
either. In every State in the
Union, Democrats have accept
positions under the present ad-
ministration without renouncing
their own party amlliation or
principles. In Charleston there
are now a number of gentlemen
applying for the position of Col
lector, who are now and always
have been Democrats, and should
the President appoint one of
them he will not expect an avow-
al of Republicanism. When the
president appoints a Democrat
to an Office, as he has frequently
done, it is because the material
offered him from his own party
is not satisfactory to him, and in
his Judgment not calculated to
help the service-hence he pre-
fers going outside of his party.
There are some who say they
would not accept an Office from
q Republican president, but we
should hate to take any risks
with such people; in our opinion
they will take anything they can
get, and the very first job in
sight. But in the present case,
while we have not been offered
the Collectorship, nor have we
any reason to believe there is
any likelihood of it being offered
to US, we would not accept
it because there is not enough
money in it; but the report in the
News and Courier, which en-
deavored to make it appear that
we were about to step into that
Office, gave some slander-beslim-
ed tongues a sweet morsel of l.
told-you-so to roll, and go about
intimating that we had gone into
the Republican camp, a quietus
was put on them however, when
the next day our reply appeared.
Should the time ever come that
we will quit the Democratic
party, we will not sneak out
but walk out openly and boldly;
and we know of nothing that
will make US go, unless it be the
loss Of all hope of ever purify
ing the party from its present
rotten methods. AS long as
there is a shadow Of hope to
drive from power the sanctimon-
ious scoundrels who manage to
control by methods far worse
than was ever perpetrated in
radical days, when it was mat
ter Of the preservation of our
civilization, just so long will we
remain a true and loyal worker
in the Democratic ranks, wheth-
er in our out of Office.
The leaders, in a county which,
in a primary election, polls more
votes than it has legal white
voters, if they are not parties to
the crime, will use every honest
effort in their power to put a
stop to such tactics. We have
no idea that there is a man in
Clarendon county at all familiar
with the number Of white voters
who believes there was over 1850
legal votes cast in the last pri-
mary, Notwithstanding the fact,
there were nearly 1900 votes re-
ported. We are morally sure
there was fraud committed, and
we believe before an impartial
tribunal if the game was worth
the candle, we can prove 1t.
There are some isolated cases
which are easily proven: we
have in mind the name Of a
voter on the poll list, who died
last February, he did not vote
in the first primary, but rolled
out Of his grave in time for the
second, we also have information
of ,,orooS ~, ,>o11 lists nf no ,,+i AS