The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-08-15
LOCAL OPTION.

There seems to be q m!Suuoei
standing on the part OF some; as
towhat local option means. me
opposition endeavors to mlsleaa
the people into believing that
local option means a return TO
the barroom system. Iney know
that the State constitution for
bids barrooms, and their return is
an impossibillity. Local option
means nothing morenor less than
the giving the people the right
TO choose their own system OF
liquor control: if the people of a
countv-a majority Of them are
opposed to the sale of liquor,
they can record that opposition
at the ballot box, and have its
sale done away with, on the other
hand, if in the judgement Of the
majority the legal sale of liquor
can be operated better than pro
hibition, it gives them the right
to say so, and have County dis
pensary owned and controlled by
the county, and whatever profits
the concern makes, the whole OF
1t goes into our county treasury,
to be expended upon our schools,
streets, roads. bridges, juries
and all other matters for which
the taxpayers are called upon to
pay.
It is our sincere opinion that
public sentiment is not strong
enough at this time to enforce
prohibEon, but it is growing,
and unless the public sentiment
is strong enough to enforse pro.
hibition, then, as u matter OF
practical Judgement: we should
take the next best thing, which
in our opinion is the County dis
pensary system, providing a
majority want such a system.
The business er1ptylng its whole
profits into our County treasury,
Will be- safe-guarded by the peo'
pie the same as any other county
Office. There is a principle IN,
volved in local option,-a demo
cratic principle, thatis, the great
principle of the Reform move
ment of 1890, which was so sue
cessfully led by B. r. Tlllman-
the right Of home rule and local
self government. In the stirring
days Of 1890, Tillman appealed
to the people to rise and break
the shackles Of political serfdom.
that they were Being ruled by ar
oligarchy, and deprived of the
liberty to express their wishes
at the polls. The people rose
and with mighty force swepr
the ::oligarchy" out Of power
and the coveted primary
system was given to US; wher
the history is written B. R. Till
man Will be credited with beins
the leader which gave the masse:
the liberty they craved: and nov
that we ssenjoy this great privi
lege, why should we be curtailee
in it's exercise? We are givel
the privilege Of voting upon our
selves taxes for educational our
poses, then why not let the peo
ple who have the burden to bear
have the privilege of expressing
at the ballot box, whether they
want the sale of whiskey dons
away with, or taken under county
control2
If the people decide to take tht
dispensary under county control
the only difference will be. tha
instead of dividing the profit:
with the State as now, the entire
profits will remain at home. The
whole matter resolves itself int
purely a question of business pol
icy, and there is no reason to b.
misled by fallacious or speciou
arguments, neither is there an,
use to impugn the motives O
others who desire the privileg,
to express themselves upon Jhi
much agitated question. We re
cognize and concede that man,
of the advocates of the State dis
pensary are sincere as we CLAIM
to be, therefore if we Judge then
harshly or impugn their motive
would be doing them an injustice
they have as much right to dife
from US, as we have from them
It is folly to impugn a man.
democracy because he is oppose
to the State dispensary, an
favors County dispensary.
Local option is a democratl
principle. even Senator Tillma:
concedesit, and in a recent speec.
Hon. Richard I. Monning, on
of the dispensary candidates TO
governor. recognized the jushc
Of local option when he sal
there should be some way O
voting out the 'dispensary il
becomes obnoxious to commun
ity," which is all the Brice Ac
provides for. In this view W
heartily agree With Mr.. Man
ming, and had he made know
such views in the beginning man,
votes now going to Ansel woul'
in all probability have gone t.
Manning. It is a pleasure tina
as the campaign is nearing it
eud, to find Mr.. Manning wit
his eye on the weather vane, an
,,o.41;,cr oio.,o w +o loool o,otjn,1