The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1908-01-01
AS He SEES us.
"A Fair Northern Mans Views of
South Carolina.
SOCIAL CONDITIONS.

tot, Conn, But Now Resident of
Rowesyille, Delivered at His For
mer Home to an Audience Of Re-
publicans.
MIR. George A. Beers, assistant
treasurer of the J. H. Blake Lumber
company Of Rowesville, S. c., who is
at his home in Bristol. Conn, for the
Christmas holidays, was by request
of the programme committee of the
Mems Union Of the Congregational
church, the speaker at the meeting
of the Union Sunday noon, and he
took for his subject, "a View of the
Physical, Social and Moral Condi-
tions Of South Carolina and Its Peo-
pie, with Special Reference to the
Prohibition Wave that is Spreading
Over the South. %
A correspondent writing to The
State from Bristol says what makes
the address of interest to readers Of
a Southern paper is that Mr.. Beers,
who has lived in the South for the
last 10 months, and in that time has
come to view Southern conditions
from Southern standpoint. was lis
tened to with the closest attention by
an audience every one Of whom is a
Republican in politics and are lead
ers Of thought in the community.
Mr.. Beers said in part that the
physical conformation Of South Car
olina might be divided into the high
lands and lowlands and that while
the southern part Of the State was
almost a dead level, the northern
part, commencing at Orangeburg,
70 miles from the sea, was slightly
rolling with higher hills in the vicin-
ity Of Columbia and mountains in the
northern part Of the State.
The conformation of the land de-
cided apparently the character Of the
settlements of the early days. The
cavaliers came to South Carolina and
settled on the lowlands and built up
large estates and lived in baronial
style and with their great estates
cultivated by negroes became the ar
istocrats of the State. The higher
lands were settled by small farmers
of Scotch-Irish ancestry and to this
day there is something of distinc-
ton in the character of the people
inhabiting the different sections.
There never have been nearly so
many negroes in the upper counties
of the State.
In speaking of the social conditions
1t can be said that the ever present
negro furnishes a question that only
the Southerner can handle wisely and
he will be put to his Wits ends to
know how to handle it to the best
advantage of all concerned. In the
first place there is no we'll defined
race antagonism. The negro must not
ask for social or political equality and
it can be said that in the rural COM
munities he is not looking for it or
expecting it.
A white man who goes into the
State from the North must learn
that the negro is never to be address
ed as sir. He does not expect to be
put on the same social plane as the
white man and will despise the white
man who accords him that place.
Then again the white man from the
North must not do it, if he expects
to be treated like a white man by
the Southerners.
Among themselves the Southern
ers are the most hospitable people on
the face of the earth and the strang-
er in their midst will be treated like
one Of their own kind, as long as he
does not overstrp p the code Of conduct
which the Southerner has establish
ed for himself.
When it comes to business the
Northerner will find that the man in
the Southland is able to hold his own
with the sharpest Yankee that ever
tried to make bargain. There was
a time when the Southerner who call
ed himself the aristocrat looked down
on the man of business and the pro-
fessional man as well, unless the lat
ter was land owner also, but that
day has largely passed away. Today
the business man Of the State is its
greatest hope for future success.
Columbia is a good proof Of what
business can do for the South. With
a population that has nearly doubled
since the last census was taken it is
one of the most progressive cities Of
the South.
Time was when a female who did
not marry was not allowed under any
circumstances that might arise to do
anything towards her support, but
that has passed away along with 9TH
er old time ideas.
Today the daughter Of the South
who has received a college education
goes out to use that education by
helping to improve the minds and
morals of others. The speaker has
known of a number Of young lacies
of the greatest refinement, coming
from the best homes in Orangeburg
who are not obliged to do anything
for a living, who are at the present
time teaching school in the rural
communities about Rowesyille and
St. Georges. What this means not
only to the better education of the
coming generation but in the way of
teaching them by example a more
refined way of living. can only be es-
timated by those who have lived in
those communities and understand
the necessity for such an education.
While the people Of the State have
some characteristics that seem un-
fortunate to dweller in a more con-
servative State, such s.s the two fire.
n,,ont horniciSas vet toe hotter ele-