The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-05-07

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mary system, but, to place no OBJ
structions in the way of giving
the people an opportunity to
hear and Judge for themselves.
We want the primary system so
free, that every white man who
pledges himself a Democrat and
will abide the result and support
the nominees, can go before the
people, present his views and
leave it to them to say whether
or not he is a Democrat and his
views meet with their approval.
We are and always will be op-
posed to an executive committee
prescribing a mans politics: if
the people cannot be trusted
then in the name Of decency stop
saying that this is a government
for the people and by the peo-
ple," and truthfully proclaim
that this is a government "for
the politicians and by the politi-
clans" and add the celebrated
Vanderbilt remark, "the people
be damned" Senator McLaurin
and ourself are personal friends
and on this account certain poll
ticians have instilled into the
minds of many people impres-
sions unwarranted by the facts,
but our position remains un-
changed, we always claimed that
on these national questions grow
ing out of the war between the
United States and Spain which
has brought down upon Senator
McLaurin such a storm of dis
approval, that he should be per-
mitted to go into the primary
and discuss those questions and
let the people, not the politi-
clans be the judges of his De-
mocracy. This has been our
position from the beginning, and
until a declaration is made by
the convention it will continue
to be our position. AS a Demo-
crat, always contending that duty
demands the laying aside of per-
sonal views, and acquiesence
when the State Democratic Con-
vention makes it's declaration, we
say boldly that no man is en-
titled to Democratic considera-
ton who refuses to submit to
the will of the majority. If Sen
ator McLaurin refuses to enter
the coming primary, it, in our
opinion, means that he has re-
tired from the field, and left it
open to his opponents, and will
60 back to private life, hoping
for time to vindicate his course.
We do not believe that he will
join the Republican party. There
is only one door open for en-
trance to the United States Sen
ate in South Carolina, and that
is through the Democratic pri-
there is absolutely no such
thing as an appeal to the general
for it would be a physi-
cal impossibility to elect inde-
pendent tickets in the countless;
this every sane man knows, and
Senator McLaurin's reference to
the general election is not, as
some would like to make it ap-
pear, a threat to run indeper=
dent, but hope expressed that
the people will do away with
the primary and depend upon
the general election, not for this
coming election, but in the fu-
ture, and if we mistake not sew
eral very able anti-McLaurin
newspapers in this State have
long ago advocated a similar
idea.
We have known John Lowndes
McLaurin many years and his
political career has not been a
''fowery bed of ease," because
of his being student of political
economy and naturally of an as
sertive nature. He chafes un-
der restraint and rebels under
tyranny; he is no politician, for
if he was, by playing to the pop
ular feeling, and submitting him
self as a trucking follower of
leadership, regardless of his
convictions, today, he would have
had the masses to his back. But
McLaurin entertained views on
governmental questions and,
without obtaining permission of
the leaders, dared to express
them. This independence has
cost him the enmity of Tillman,
and as a result his popularity
with the masses, but if he is
right, time will vindicate him. In
the history of all civilized coun-
tries men have gone down for
expressing their convictions and
then came forward again strong
er than before. Why? Because
time was convincing, and they
were right. If it turns out that
McLaurin is right after all, some
men who are honestly differing
with him now, may be in a few