The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-03-27

had something to do with the
enactment OF the State dispen-
sary law, and until he joined the
ministry he was a very strong
partisan, and now that he has
assumed the editorship Of the
representative organ Of the
Methodist church anything he
might say on the liquor or any
other political question will at.
tract more than ordinary atten-
ton, and we presume it is be.
cause of this the Columbia State
read Editor Nettles a lecture
which is calculated to raise his
ire. We shall be an interested
locker on. The following is from
the State. 25th, instant:
s'The Southern Christian Advocate
has for many years past been q
power for good in South Carolina: its
high aims has been manifest, and its
sincerity as uneuestioned as its purity
OF purpose. 1t has in those years hao
occasion to fight vigorously, yet never 81,
forfeiting confidence and respect, 10 or
out of the Methodist church IN oouCii
Carolina. 1t has been gratifying TO
The State to find itself so 1reque4els
alined with that Christian paper. But
we are frank to express tne oplutou
thar unless there is 4 change IRON the
more recent policy of the Southern
Christian Advocate, there will be- a
MARKED decrease in its strength. Here
is a comment from Editor Nettles, who
last summer but week before the
primary suddenly attempted to throw
the influence OF the church paper to
the dispensary:
1T is heart-sickenlng to daily read
the preparation making bv our State
TO increase the sale of whiskeys. 1t
looks as if the whiskey men again have
things their own way. AS the Advo-
cate gave warning, county dispensaries
are proving so far a backward step.
Richland county is advertising for bids
for nearly 1000 barrels Of liquors.
Such evidence of lack Of sincerity
and OF misrepresentation OF facts is
likely to give very many persons that
believe in ii1ic, honest lighting a sick
ening sensation several inches below
the heart. We are not here to defend
county dispensaries: if they are to be
justified they must prove their lustlhl-
cation. Neither are we fighting pro-
hibitionists; we believe the large ma
jority of the territory of South Caro-
lima is theirs by the power Of popular
sentiment, and we hope that will seize
and hold that territory. And where
they can not enforce prohibition, we
trust they will scrutinize the methods
of selling whiskey, aid in suppressing
illegal traffic, and enforce the law. But
we are opposed to bushwhacking, we
are opposed to hypocrisy, we are op-
posed oan alleged campaign for TEN
| Derance' by Tillman's coat4tail swingers
that followed him with acclamation
while he was pouring more mean whis-
KEY down the throats of South Caro-
linians than was ever poured before:
they obey his wishes now, when, with
out testing the county dispensaries, he
DEGREES prohibition for the whole State,
without local option
Editor Nettles knows that ''prepara-
tionn is not being made ''to increase
the sale Of whiskey." AS matter OF
course, in those counties where prohi-
bition fails, whiskey is to be sold. But
how dare the man that supported Till
mans State dispensary with business
of upward of four million dollars a
year, and stencil of graft that rose
to high heaven, say that county dlspen-
saries ARE proving so far backward
step," that it looks "as if the whlskey
men again have things their OWL way, +"
and that preparations are being made
ito increase the sale of whiskey?n
''Richland is advertising for 1000
barrels of liquors. says The Advo-
cate. Well, and what does that prove?
Did Editor Nettles make protest when
the State dispensary bought twenty
thousand barrels, and the air was full
of talk of rake-offs? The profit fea-
ture,' he declares, 'inow is paramount. -
That is the worst feature of the dirty
liquor business. and we hope a public
conscience will be at q not distant day
aroused against it. But who made these
profits appear so desirable in the eyes
of South Carolinians? None but B. R.
Tillman, the noble leader of Editor
Nettles. To say such profits are now
paramount is very misleading state
ment of fact. They were the para
mount feature of the State dispensary.
Richland is advertising for about
800 barrels of liquor and some wine. We
believe it will be bought honestly, that
grafters will be made sick at heart,
and that less degrading whiskey will
be given to the people. Under the pres
ent law the incentive to dispensers to
push sales is removed. They will do
so at their peril and the peril of their
bondsmen. When sustainers of the
graft honeycombed State dispensary
that flooded South Carolina with whis-
key, assail any other system before
that system has got in full operation,
there must necessarily be grave doubt
of the high moral purpose of the assail-
ants. One is inclined to look for the
shirt of the disgruntled politician be-