The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-11-06
The Mass Meeting Fizzled.

One OF the most disgusting fiascos
: ever known in a town where people
ARE supposed 10 be intelligent, and to
have the courage of their convictions
was pulled off last Monday afternoon in
Manning. In the last issue OF The
MANNING TINES there appeared a
call foI. a town mass meeting to con-
slider municipal affairs When the call
was brought to this office we predicted
then it would amount to nothlDg, as
not even the sgnerS to the call would
be present, and it turned ont as we eN-
pected, several of the signers TO the
call did not turn up, and altogether
only eleven persons responded: Of
course, with this handful no meeting
was held. and should not have been,
but nevertheless. the lack of response
TO the call does not mean the taxpayers
of this town are satisfied with the fnan-
cial management. There is one thing
sure. there is great dissatisfaction, and
it is common to hear the question asked,
''What has become OF the towns in
come? Why is the town head over
heels in debt? Who gets the money
that goes into the town treasury, and
by what legal right? Who has ever
investigated The accounts for which
vouchers are given:" This is not all,
there are many other questions asked,
and there are none 10 give answer.
Some Of the people who, not only ask
pertinent questions, Intimate that a
Showing down would open the eyes OF
the town. bnt these things are not said
in public. they are said in the stores,
and on the streets, but when it comes
to call for a showing. they do not show
up. There are some large taxpayers
who are complaining bitterly because
the council raised the tax levy from
two 10 five mills, and they have been
urging that protest be made and an
had even if the courts
had 10 be called upon: when, however,
they found that a meeting where peo-
pie would have to show their hands
was about to be called, this mounting
crew began wiggle and squirm, and
make excuses. and finally had business
elsewhere. when the hour arrived for
the mass meeting. That class of tax
payers are afraid to call their souls
their own, they are dissatisfied, and in
private grumble their dissatisfaction,
Just enough to arouse discomfort in
others, hoping they will bring things
to climax by their complaints with
out the exposure of themselves. Such
moral cowardice is disgusting and car
only invite the contempt of the town
council.
The funk OF tie citizens of Manning
last Monday can be regarded by coun
Gil as an endorsement OF its manage
ment, it's withholding from the public
the income and disbursements of the
treasury. That body can arrogate to
itself the perfect right to say, "the
money is in our hands, and,
of the law forbidding mem
bers of council being benefciaries OF
the town funds, we shall 90 as we
please, it is our own affair"
The citizenship OF this town does not
deserve an account of its officers stew
and if council spend every dol
lar, and hurl the town in debt many
times more, and increase the levy to
ten mills, in the language OF Henry
Smith, 1--WE don't give Billy" If
these mouthing grurnblers can stand it
we can, but there is one thing sure,
they need not come whispering their
to US any more, because
should they do so, we shall expose their
names and cowardice in these columns.