The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-06-20
THE BATTLE BEGINS.

So far the gubernatorial can.
didate nearest our views on the
liquor question is Ansel. OF
Greenville, but we would like to
see a stronger man out: one who
does not have strings to his
local option theories. Our idea
Of local option, is local self-gov-
ernment, let the people have an
opportunity to select a liquor
control system for themselves
and not have a system forced
upon them by a gang OF poIltl-
clans. .Ansel has too much Of
the ::mother.may-1- go-out-to-
SWIM attachment to his local
option, and then too, he gives
his views upon public questions
with bated breath. We would
much rather have 6, candidate
who does not feel he is COM
PEELED to wear gum shoes, and
talk in a whisper whenever he
approaches a political question.
The kind of a man we want is
one who let's himself be known,
heard, and felt. May be Ansel
will develop later, we hope so.
Brunson, of Sumter, and Ed
wards, of Saluda, are Prohibi-
tionists. the former a good man,
but his zeal for prohibition ex-
ceeds his Judgment. The Saluda
man, we know nothing about,
but it can safely be said, his
cause is hopeless. Prohibition
cannot win, the fight will be dis
pensary or local option. The
dispensary advocates are Man
ming of Sumter, Blease of New,
berry, Sloan and McMahan Of
Columbia. In our judment, Man
ming is the sheet-anchor of the
dispensary ship. We think he
will have the backing Of Tillman,
and this we have thought ever
since we heard of that meeting
at Clemson, and the various con-
ferences at Washington. Man.
ming has put on Tiljman's collar,
who will coach him. The State
board will root for him, and so
viii the constables and local dis
pensers. In other words, Man
ming win have the entire dispen-
sary machine at his back, and it
is potent force.
Sloan and McMahan are not
expected to do more than be
barkers for the big cit" of the
dispensary caravan. Cole Blease,
the author Of the Investigating
committee resolution, is detailed
to corral the 'sRed Men," and
factory vote to keep them from
getting away from the dispense
ry. If he succeeds in preventing
Thls vote from going over to the
anti-dispensary forces he will
deserve a medal from the State
dispensary machine.
Blease, Sloan and McMahan.
viii not be deuce-high in the
game, nor will Brunson and Ed
wards. The issue is drawn hard
and tight between State Dispen-
sary and Local Option, and un-
less the Local Optionists can get
out stronger man, then it will
be Manning for the Dispensary
and Ansel for Local Option.
Aside from Manning's State dis
pensary proclivities, or rather
his political associates, there is
no objection to him, but the
men he is now allied with and
whose standard he proposes to
carry through this campaign,
have lost caste with that great
element who feel the mortifca-
ton and humiliation Of their
State being in the control of a
gang Of grafters-men who try
to stifle evidence at the pistol
point, and men whose control of
affairs Of the people has been
one long and continued debauch.
Manning is all right, but he is
in bad company. Ansel is a good
man, and demonstrated his pop
ularity when he ran for Cover
nor against Hayward: but we
hope he viii starch up his back
bone when the primary opens
and be more pronounced than he
has been heretofore. The bre'er
Crawford story will not so this
time, the people want man to
show them the necessity for
driving from the State that ma
chine which is having such a
damning influence on our entire
State government. He should
show up the hypocrisy of the
State Dispensary forces in the
matter of public school funds,
and strongly plead with the peo-
pie to break the chains that pol
iticians are welding upon them,
and making of them political
serfs.
Ansel has ability. and he has
eIoquence, but what in our opin-
ion he needs to make him the
leader in a winning cause, is to
make an aggressive and deter
mined stand for local self-gov-
ernment.
The people do not want their
rights taken from them by de-
grees, as is, and has been done,
by the State dispensary system,
nor do they want any govern
ment by impulse" what they