The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-03-14
THAT D1sPENsARY CONFERENCE.

DIcSSSO Will 4SSc'iSA w oAAS ANA
discussed conference of the adj
vocates Of the State Dispensary,
far fetched, and that the pro-
moters Of the conference have
no idea Of organizing to railroad
through the May convention a
scheme to embarass the Demo
cratic voters of this State.
They may scott and make pre-
tense as much as they will, but
we have no confidence in their
representations; because, they
propose to have a conference OF
the dispensary forces, the sug-
gestion if not emanating from
the father of the dispensary
law, it has his declared approval,
what is the object of the confer
ence, if it is not to devise the
ways and means to change the
sentiment so strong against the
institution and to win in the
coming fight: How then can it
be changed or won ifnot through
the party platform, the rules
and the pledge? The May con-
vention has the power to make a
platform, and it also has the
power to provide /. constitution
which shall require. ''That no
vote shall be counted for any
candidate who does not file with
the chairman of the State Exc
cutlve Committee, or with the
respective chairman of the
County Executive Committees, a
pledge in writing that ne will
abide the result of such primary
and support the nominees there
of, aud that he is not, nor will
he become the candidate Of any
faction, either privately or pub
licly suggested, other than the
regular Democratic nomination.
This pledge is for candidates, and
the, convention can go farther
and make it mandatory on the
part of the Executive Comm9tee
to provide a rule before permit
ting white Democrat to vote,
to require of him an oath viz--.:s::2sa
do solemnly swear that 4 am
duly qualified to vote at this
election according to the rules of
the Democratic Party, and that
I have not voted before at this
election, and pledge myself to
support the nominees of this
primary" The convention not
only has the right to make these
pledges and oaths a requirement
but it can fix it so that no vote
shall be counted for a man who
has not subscribed to the pledge,
and that no vote shall be polled
by a voter who refuses to take
the oath.
In article three of the State
Democratic platform adopted in
the May convention Of 1898, the
following IS the plank:
t.That we pledge the Democratic
party to continued support of the
dispensary law as the best solution
of the liquor question and cali upon
all lovers of temperance and good Or
der to hold up the hands of our pub
lie servants in their efforts to admin
;Ster it in the interest of morality,
good conduct and prosperity
The regular convention hav-
ing the power to engraft into
the party platform a pledge of
the party's support for the dis
pensary, and also having the
power to require certain pledges
and oaths before a man can be-
come a candidate. or a white
Democrat can cast his right of
franchise, why cannot that con-
vention also engraft into the
constitution an oath making it.
obligatory upon the candidate,
and voter, to subscribe that he
WILL SUPPORT THE DISPEN-
SARY?: This can be done, and in
our opinion, one the purposes of
the conference is to organize to
capture the State convention if
successful, a very slight addi-
ton to the pledge in the consti-
tuition would do the work of ex-
cluding from the primary every
Democratic voter in the State
who is opposed to the State
dispensary. Just add after the
words, "a pledge in writing that
he," WILL SUPPORT THE PARTY
PLATFORM, then those who are
opposed to the State dispensary
and are contemplating being
candidates for office are exclud-
ed by the fatal five words, and
for the voter: the only change
in the pledge necessary to dis
franchise thousands Of white
Democrats, many of them whose
blood crimsoned the soil of Vir.
ginia in defence of the South.
land, and who pay large pro-
portion of the taxes to maintain
this State government is to add
after the word support" the
words THE PARTY PLATFORM,
Just three words, apparently
innocent words inserted into the
oath for voters, and the entire
Democratic voters who are op,
posed to the State dlspensary
are excluded from voting. The
politicians are shrewd as well as
desperate, and they have a trick
of s:reathrming" the principles
enl1nciated'' hE former cOnven-