The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-09-05
ONE DEFINITION.

in their Judgment there yet ap-
pears to be a misunderstanding
of what is meant by it. We have
endeavored to make ourself clear
in this principle, on more than
one occasion, but if there still
,clipgs any uncertainty and we
can relieve any doubts it will be
our pleasure to do so. The op-
position to local option would
create the impression that it
means for the legislature at one
fell blow to destroy or abolish
the dispensary system, such an
impression is false, if the legis
lature was to abolish the system
it would not be local option, be-
cause the opportunity for the
voters to express themselves
will not have been had, and un-
less the legislature submits the
matter to the voters for an ex-
preston, the same as it submits
the question Of special school
districts, it's action would be ar
bitrary and a stulti fiction of the
local option principle, in other
words, the man elected to the
legislature upon a local option
platform must, to keep his pledge,
vote against any bill on the IL
quor question which does not
provide for submitting the mat
ter direct to the people.
Our position is, and a reading
of our platform of principles so
declares. to make s:an earnest
effort to secure legislation which
will permit the people to say by
their votes whether or not liquor
shall be sold in the county, and
whether or not the sale of liquor
shall be under State, as at pres
ent, or county control" 1t will
be seen from this declaration
that the matter of abolishing the
dispensary is not with the legis-
lature, but it is for that body to
set a day separate from a day
when officers are to be elected,
and the question upon it's merits,
free from entangling or confus-
ing alliances, is submitted to the
people themselves for settle
ment. This is what is meant by
san earnest effort to secure leg
islation which will permit the
people to say by their votes
whether or not llquor shall be
sold in the county, and whether
or not the sale of liquor shall be
under State, as at present, or
county control" The principle
of local option is nothing more
nor less than to obtain the wish
es of the majority at 5he ballot
box. Ii the Legislature enacted
a law to give the people an
opportunity to express them
selves at the ballot box, in our
Judgment, it would put an end
to this continual harping upon
the liquor question, bnt, say
some, under the Brice Act none
but registered voters can vote,
and therefore many white man
would not be allowed a voice.
Our answer to this is: it is the
duty Of every white man to be
registered, and if he is not it is
his own fault, but then, in order
to concede their excuse, we have
a Democratic organization and
under our system, the organiza-
ton can take the liquor question
under it's care the same as it does
the appointive officers, such as
Auditors, Treasurers and Magis-
trates, and order primary in
advance of the general election
fixed by the general assembly,
then all white men could vote
with or without registration
tickets, and the matter of liquor
control can be settled in Dem
ocratic primary.
We are not opposing the dis
pensary as system Of liquor
control, but we are opposed to
State control without giving the
people a square chance to con-
sent to it. We favor county con-
troll because of the profits re-
naming IN the county; the taxes
of the people go to pay the court
expenses, and the bulk of this
expense is the result of whiskey
selling, then there is no justice
in sending a part of the profits
to theState authorities, we should
keep every cent of it at home;
putt in our schools, on our roads
and reduce our taxes. Our in
formation is that $4,000 worth
of liquor was sold here last year
and the first profit for the State
was 10 per cent, making 7.4OO
sent out of the county to Co.
lumbia, whereas, if we had the
dispensary, under county |
control, that s7.400 would have
gone into our county treasury, a
sum sufficient to run our free
schools several months. If the
of local option is adopt.
3D., the system Of liquor control
will be left entirely with the peo-
pie, and it will be for them, and
not the politicians to say, wheth-
er liquor shall be sold and divide
profits with Columbia, or sold,
and tho whoIo ,,rofft rnmalo in