The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-07-11

vided the legislative committee which
superintends the other State institu
lions and the grand jurIes Of the vsri
Gus counties pay attention to thei.
duties. No government has ever beer
devised that would run itself anc
every government is an index Of thu
intelligence, public spirit and patriot
ism Ct its people. II the people are
ignorant and Indifferent and cease tc
watch and look after their affairs, the
government they give themselves is
inevitably rad and they can blame nc
one but themselves.
The conditions in the dispensary
now are directly traceable to the
Dlundering and neglect Of the legisla-
cure. That body placed the State
Dispensary In the hands Of thrse poll
ticians, elected without consideration
to fitness, experience OF character,
threw no restrictions whatever around
the administration, left the door wide
open, limited the salary to $500 and
now We see the result. have always
said and believed. i5 was designedly
done to destroy 1t. Politics and not
itness have most always controlled
the legislative elections, but no
amount Of salary alone would cure the
evil Of which we complain.
The original Board was composed
OF the Governor, Attorney General
and tie Comptroller General, three Of
cur highest State officials elected by
dne people, but the vital mistake was
in not making stricl rules and regula
lions for the purchase OF Whiskey.
The enemies OF the Dispenssry declare
that 1t is inherently vicious and that
IL cannot be purified. This cry is in
dicatiVe that those who thus con uend
practically confess that they have lost
all faith in the honesty Of man or Of
She ability OF men to give themselves
just and honest government. I tor
one do not believe that all Of the hon
est mon are dead. The people are
disgusted and they have right to be,
but the one crime which they should
not forgive is the failure Of the last
legislature to change the law sc as tc
prevent aay further stealing and to
restore the dispensary system to its
original purpose, that Of controlling
ahiSkey and minimizing the evils in
separao ole from Its sale and use. The
enemies OF the Dtspensary were bent
on killing 1t and the coordination OF
political and other influences IN the
House having failed in uhS5, compsll-
ed the election Of a new Bard because
they refused to change the Law anc
continued all Of the old and proven
evils. 1t was the most glaring betray
81 Of the peoples interests tnad I hav~
ever known respectable white men tC
be guilty Of, and while many Of them
are my friends, at least politically, l
take the responsibility to say that
very man who refused to put safe
guards around the purchase OF whis-
key and change the system OF man
agenent III the last legislature ought
to be left at home. Slca men cannot
oe trusted. They put partisan adyan-
sage above public 6uts.
Legislators are not the masters Of
the people. They are their servants
and the people had not insJrlcaec
chem to abolish the State Dispensary
for thsre was no such issue when they
were elected; and whan they them.
selves were responsible or their prede-
cessors were responsible for the COT
ruption which they had reason to be.
lieYs existed, it Is incomprehensible
30 NE how any man with the least
idea CT obligatlons to the people who
elected tdn could acg as that legisla-
5ure did. The people have Iignt to
destroy the dispsnsary, out no mere
representative Of the people has a
cigha to assume such a RESPONSE oil1ty
ss that would hsVe ben without
nsving campaign and making the
issue before the people and getting
instructions from them. AL l hsV
ever asked is to have all OF the white
people pass on the question and let the
GsjariGy govern. do not believe IL
permitting newspapers to dictate to a
iew scneming politicians and 20 urada
among themselves and settle the
question. II the people Of county
want no liquor sold in it, let them
vote for legislators 20 say 80 and Tor
ohe candidate for Governor who adVo.
Gates that. Let US be open and hon.
est in our politics and not vote for
fence s5raddlers and Cfioe seekers
who will say and do anything to get
elecJed.