The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-05-23
A CALL OF DUTY.

| Senator Richard I. Manning Of this
county has been more signally honored
| by a large, influential and representa-
| tive element of the citizenship of
South Carolina than any other man
now in public life, and this honor has
come to him in a way that can but be
extremely gratifying to him, although
| it entails a grave and heavy response
biliry. We know that it is an honor
that the people Of Sumter county ap-
| preciate, irrespective Of whether or
not they endorse, in toto, his views on
matters Of public policy, for it Is an
honor to a citizen and true and tried
public servant of this county that has
come spontaneously from the people
Of ali sections Of the State.
No man within the present genera
tion, save Hampton alone, so far as
we know, has been I so strongly and
earnestly urged and persuaded to be-
come candidate for governor, no
man has had so great pressure brought
to bear upon him to disregard his per-
sonal and private duties and offer his
services to the public. For months
past Mr.. Manning has been looked up
on as the logical candidate for COVER
nor by those who regard high charac-
ter and business ability as the first
and most necessary requisites in a can
;didate for the Office, and at the same
time endorsed his we'll understood
views respecting the control of the
>liquor business by legislative enact
nent. But not until the representa-
tives of every county of the State were
gathered together in Columbia last
week was it impossible to estimate the
strength of the sentiment that Richard
I. Manning is the man for governor of
South Carolina. Never has there been
exerted such pressure on any man
within our recollection to declare him
self a candidate and never has there
been such insistence that man should
offer for office-as duty he owed
the State Wednesday Mr.. Manning
WAS urged to announce his candidacy
by men from practically every county
IL the state, ana, as an evidence OF
t!.e confidence that he has inspired by
his public record, a great many OF
those who were most insistent were
men who openly declared their antag-
onism to his we'll known views respect
ing the dispensary, but at the same
time said that, despite this difference
Of opinion, they preferred him and
would support him against the field,
simply because of their confidence in
him as man and citizen. This was
a tribute that no man, nor his friends,
could regard save as an honor that
man might cheerfully spend life
time in the public service to merit and
receive, and we know that Mr.. Man
ming so regarded it: and his friends
from Sumter, through whom this
pressure was largely brought to bear,
were made to realize that he not only
appreciated the esteem of the people
Of the State thus expressed, but that
he would gladly comply with their de-
mands could he do so at the expense
of any sacrifice that would affect him
self alone.
It still seems to Mr.. Manning's
friends that it is a call Of duty and
that if it is possible for him to be-
come a candidate for governor on a
rlatform whose Chief plank would be
his record as a citizen, as public ser
want and as a man, that he should do
so, and give the people Of the State.
who appreciate this type Of citizen
ship, an opportunity to vote for a man
who cannot only command, but al
ready has the confidence and respect
Of his opponents.