The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-08-30
THE MANNING AND ANsEL LETTERS.

broken IIlell Sl1ellCS: ny Si'ihiS
to the press their views on the
all absorbing topic. as to how
they stand on the liquor ques-
ton. The declarations Of Meth
er are as emphatic and clear as
we should like to see from states.
men aspiring to the exalted po-
sition Of Governor, both Of them
seem to approach the question
with gum Shoes on their feet, and
their minds on what the effect
will be. Senator Manning's let
ter has a ''me-too" ring about it.
He evidently does not wish to
cast loose from the dispensary
ship, as long as Senator Tillman
will stand at the helm, and
therefore he too, will not stand
for corruption. but wants to
amend the law, and give it an
other trial, or longer lease OF
life.
Senator Manning does not
offer anything in the way Of
good reasoning why the system
Should not be condemned. but
contents himself with echolng
that which the author of the law
has heretofore pronounced, and
which was in effect, amend the
law by taking the election Of the
board OF control away from the
legislature, and place the man
agement back into the hands OF
the governor and other state
officials. !" Senator Tillman set
such pace at Gafney, and at
the last session Of the leglsla-
ture Senator Manning endeav-
ored to carry it out, now Sena-
tor Tillman has again made pub
lie his plan for reforming the dis
pensary and Senator Manning
makes bold to declare himself
along similar lines. We had
hoped that after so long silence
the Senator from Sumter with
gubernatorial ambitions, would
have given to the public, that is
distressed over the present cou-
ditions, something which evolv-
ed from his own brain, and
which would guide the people to
thinking.
South Carolina is not adver
tising for a man to be employed
to FL the governors chair, if
she did, there are plenty who
would apply for the job, and
would even put in bids for it;
what the State does need to fill
this exalted position is a states
man. a thought leader: a man of
integrity, convictions and deter
mination. There is absolutely
no need for a sentiment-chaser,
or a time-server, and the man
who is without the moral cour
age, especially under present
conditions, to lead the masses
out Of the mire, is not the kind
needed to guide the ship Of
State. Senator Manning's letter
was a disappointment to US, not
that we expected him to agree
with the views we entertain, but
because we have not discovered
any original marks in it, but on
the contrary, we think we see
where he tracks in the ruts
ex-senator Tillman's band wagon.
The letter Of Hon. Martin F.
Ansel, while it takes q position,
in part, similar to the what we
have been advocating for years,
is not such a strong declaration
rs we would like to see. He
speaks with bated breath, and
while he favors local option in
one breath, he. in our Judgment.
destroys the main feature OF To-
cal option, and the principle Of
local self government when he
opposes permitting the people to
vote upon themselves license
system if they so desire, and ne
also throttles the principle of
local self government. when he
advocates permitting the people
to adopt a dispensary system
without allowing them local
control. According to Mr.. An
sci, if the people OF a county
vote to have dispensary, then
they must have it managed by
"a board of control appointed by
the governor of the State" He
blows hot and blows cold. in one
breath he says local option, in
the next State Control, and that
is just what is the matter right
now, State Control-appointing
local boards, at the seat of the
government, or Us Senator Till
man used to express it, the
head center Of devilment, /" is
WHaJ IS making the once piouu
old State, hang her head in
shame.
We do not regard Nh Ansel's
local option attitude strong be-
cause he too, seems to have
ringing in his ears Senator Till
mans declaration that he will
tight license system. and it has
made him weaken. Local self
government, means local control,
the will Of the majority in a
county, and under our Constltu-
ton, barrooms cannot be oper-
ated: therefore. if the legisla-
ture permits a county to vote
l;oapeo tho honor sold ,,n9or