The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-08-17
OFFICE VS. PRINCIPLE.

OFFICE VS. PRINCIPLE.
The past few issues Of The
TINES, contended that the liquor
question is an issue in the prl-
mary election; our contention
was based upon the action of
several religious bodies, edito-
rials in number of newspapers,
articles written by prominent Pro
hibitionists, and speeches dellv-
cred by candidates for the legls-
latu,e at county campaign meet
ings in different parts OF the
State. In counties where the
cause of prohibition is popular,
the candidates are open and
straightforward in proclaiming
Prohibition and. they are max
ing an earnest fight to elect
Prohibitionists to the leglsla-
ture: there is no attempt to
compromise, or any claim that
the liquor question is settled, on
the contrary, they insist that 1t
is not settled, and contend that
prohibition is vital religious
principle, which will never be
settled as long as the dispensary
system is a part of the policy OF
this State.
At the county campaign meet
inc at Forest Hill in York coun-
ty on the 10th inst, Senator
Brice the author of sBrice Bill "
made an onslaught upon the
dispensary system, and did not
fail to show very plainly that
his object for introducing the
::Brice Bill" was to kill the
dispensary, and upon this issue
it is said he will be a candidate
for governor TWO years hence.
We reproduce brief synopsis
of his speech on the occasion re-
ferred to:
Following is part of what he said
relative to the dispensary question::
:sThis idea he said, in discussing
what is known as the ''Brice Bill us
not a new one. Others have introduced
similar bills. They claimed TO be
friends OF the dispensary law, and
claimed that the proposition was not
unfriendly. The real advocates OF the
dispensary law held that advocacy OF
such bills was a poor way OF showing
friendship for the dispensary and
promptly sauelched the bills along with
their authors.
II confess that was once believer
in the dispensary law as the best solu-
ton of the liquor question: but after
careful study of the law and existing
conditions under it during the past ten
wears I have come to the conclusion
that it is the most damnable scheme
that has ever been foisted on a free
people.
lit is Republican Capitalization pure
and simple. and its effect is to take the
government of the people out of their
own hands and put it in the hands Of
the people who run the dispensary ma
chine.
:"The idea of the dispensary came
from Russia and it has Russian effect
upon our liberties. The object OF my
bill was not to help the dispensary, but
TO kill it, and I hope to see the day
when that bill will become the law in
South Carolina.
LAS to what will come after the dis
pensary l can't say, but it can be no
worse. The dispensary debauches the
whole State, increases crime and
makes the State act like a drunkard
generally. For individual sins God
holds US accountable hereafter, but
for the sins of the State He Furnishes US
here, and we can have no more real
prosperity until we throw off this terri
Bile abomination.
Any candidate who thus
speaks boldly to sustain the
principle he represents wins ad-
miration for himself, even from
those who disagree with him.
The people like frank and
honest declaration, they know
then what a candidate stands
for, especially when an impor
tant question is to be considered.
Senator Brice tells his constit.
uents frankly that it is his pur-
pose to destroy the dispensary
system, and by his frank and
uncertain avowal, the Prohibi-
tionists have man to vote for
whom they know will represent
their views, and the Dispense
rites are also put on notice.
York county is one Of the few
Prohibition connties in the
State, and it's Senator will be
returned without opposition, but
in counties where the Prohibi-
tionists are not so strong, candi-
dates walk with mufled tread
and avoid the discussion Of the
liquor question, or when con-
fronted with it, claim the Ii
quor question is settled" and
instead, they make tissues" of
questions which are not before
the people, and which are not
matters of contention, OF upon
which there are no differences
of opinion. The entire voting
population favor the mantle
nance Of free public schools, pen
sions. good roads and lower
taxes, and no candidate is op-
posed to it. But say some, the
immigration question is an is
sue, and many of our voters are
opposed to bringing in a foreign