The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-11-28
ATTEND THE MASS MEETING.

ATTEND THE MASS MEETING.
The mass meeting TO be held
in the court house next Monday,
will give an opportunity for tax
PAYERS who have any sugges-
lions that Will be Of advantage
TO the general good to make
them known. In our opinion such
a meeting should be held once a
wear just before the assembling
of the legislature, and the peo
pie come together with a view
to aid their representatives in
formulating plans for the gen
eral welfare.
It is not expected that every
man going to the legislature
shall have his carpet bag stuffed
full Of bills simply to have his
name come out IN the newspa
pers as having introduced 4 bill,
but what is expected, is for the
men who are to represent a peo-
pie, to be fully Informed as to
the needs Of those people, and be
prepared to have pat in shape
the necessary legislation; such
representatives are the kind who
have influence, and are given at
tention whenever they rise in
their seats. The best way to
have such representatives is for
them to get in close touch with
those who honored him, confer
with them as to their needs,
then whom that has been
done. both delegate and consti-
tuent have better understand
inc. and it makes the labor light
er and pleasanter. It is a no
torious fact that in order to have
q better road system, the pres.
ent methods are not only useless
but expensive, it actually cost
more money to work our make
shifts for public roads than it
does the well built turnpikes in
Virginia. The original cost Of
building the Virginia roads was
considerable, but after they were
built they were so complete that
very little repairing has to be
done, and the travelling public
with their burdens of produce
can reach market without the
strain and annoyance to be had
on our boggy highways: miss
named roads. There should be
something done about this. as
business proposition it be-
hooyes every man who has a
horse to be interested in the mat
ter Of devising a better scheme
than the present woodworking
system. The commutation tax
scheme has been tried and it is
found to be a public waste, and
in our opinion the chaingang
system is a breeder of waste
Something should be devised,
and we hope at the meeting Mon
day there will be a scheme sug-
gested.
We have before alluded to the
court house proposition. If the
taxpayers of Clarendon are con-
tent to continue running the risk
of their valuable records in the
present fire trap it is all right
with US, we can stand it. but we
believe when the matter is prop
erly presented and it is seen the
taxes would be but slightly in
creased, and when it is shown
what each taxpayers proportion
will be, those who pay but little
taxes will cease their opposition
and the large taxpayers will see
from progressive business
standpoint that well equipped
public buildings are an index to
thrift and an open invitation
to home-seekers. At the pub
lie meeting it is hoped to
have all the necessary data.
We will be prepared to show the
county's assessed valuations, the
taxable income. and how much of
a levy it will take to pay the in
tereSt on the bonds to build a
modern tire-proof court house.
There IS a diversity of opinion
as to the advisabillty of repeal
ing the lien law; many think if
this law was repealed the land
would at once begin to flow with
milk and honey; others believe
it would not have the effect Of
improving our labor system but
bring about a hardship alto
gether unnecessary and do more
harm than good. Then there is
the labor contract system. It
goes without saying that the
present system is harvest for
those who wish to levy black
mail upon their neighbors, and it
IS being done every year. These
things are Of vital Importance
and should be discussed so that
our representatives may have an
Intelligent idea Of what their
constituents want.
We urge a large attendance;
it can do no harm, and in our
Judgment, it may do good. No
man is so busy but that he can
spare few hours to the
public service. it is a patriotic
duty we all owe, and aside from
duty, as a matter Of business,
our taxpayers should be suffi-
GENTLY interested to attend this