The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-05-07
see whether they voted as they pledged
themselves or not.


TO REGULATE CAN DlDAIES.
It may in time become necessary TO
use the registration lists at the legal
election to purify the club lists, but
we cannot we'll make the rules SO cN-
acting that we will bar out men who
want to act independently in merely
local matters. The fact that our fight
is in the primary and not at the legal
election and therefore hardly half OF
the Democratic votes are ever polleo
at the legal election, would make II
difficult to devise a scheme to prove
who had or who had not supported the
nominees of the party. / VIII not
therefore discuss that phase or the
subject, but it is Z matter OF vital ne
rnSSity that we should make candi-
dates define their attitude and give
explicit pledges rs to their actions
while in office. Senator McLaurin was
charged with Republicanism in his
race in the primary Of '97, but he de-
MED it bitterly and l thought he was
honest. He denies it still, but his ut
terances now are all in endorsement of
the Republican policy, and his votes
tally with his speeches. We must
have revision of the pledge given by
candidates which will make It timpoSSl-
BILE for any honorable man not Demo-
crat to secure the nomination II we are
to keep the party from being stabbed
in the back and not have repetition
of the present diSgraceful state OF af-
fairs. At this time South Carolina
really has no voice in shaping public
matters in the senate, Or if she has
voice the votes Of the two senators are
nearly always on opposite sides OF any
given proposition. This IS something
that does not obtain in any other
Democratic State and l know of no
way by which we can guard against a
recurrence Of this condition. except to
REQUIRE all candidates for the senate,
State officers, congressman and other
positions of honor and trust to pledge
faith and loyalty to the doctrines and
principles of the party as announced
in State and national conventions.
This will leave their status as far as
it can be devised in words absolutely
known. Senator McLaurin is no longer
d factor in dealing with this question.
He is simply an illustration of what
might happen again under the present
loose regulations. While his ACTIONS
have shown the necessity for reVls-
ion of the pledge to be given by candl-
dates, the party can act without con-
sidering his case at all. 1t is even de-
sirable thathe be given an opportunity.
to go before the people and let them
show him how they feel about his
treachery. The revised pledge can be
required of all other Democrats with
out any charge of persecution or per-
sonal application. This is important for
the future welfare of the party, let him
run if he desires to face the people and
be elected if he can get the votes. II
he can win in the primary after his
record is set before the people he can
win much easier as an independent II
he is denied admission. We do not
want to be unjust to him or to his fol-
lowers.
If the Democracy of South Carolina
wants to put none but Demo ;rats on
guard it must decide the Democracy
of each candidate by requiringa a pledge
in writing that will define clearly what
the candidates opinions are and SOL
emn pledge to stand by those opinions.
Of course men may sign a pledge and
then deceive the people afterwards.
but we owe it to our fellow Democrats
Of the country to at least safeguard
our Democratic primaries as far as
possible.