The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1908-12-16
THERE WAS GAMBLING AND WORSE.

THERE WAS GAMBLING AND WORSE.
Elsewhere in this issue there
appears a set Of resolutions
adopted by the town council OF
Manning relating to the COM
mems contained in this newspa-
per on December 9th with regard
to gambling during the carnival
which recently afflicted this
town. The vehement denial OF
council to the charge, that gam
bling went on publicly five days
and was only stopped on the
sixth. does not come to US as a
surprise. we were warned that
our comments had angered some
of that august body: it was even
intimated to US that at least one
member contemplated violence.
Whether council had any
knowledge of the gambling
or not we Will not say as
it is not our purpose to
make personal references, but
we 90 say most positively that
every day and night during the
carnival numbers of citizens, in
cludng The TINES editor, and
members Of Council saw the
gaming machines at work and
money passing between those
engaged in the games. This
gam ding went on publicly until
Saturday along about midday,
when it was stopped by the May
or. we are Informed.
If the authorities had reason
to stop the gaming on Saturday
they had the same reason to stop
it wien it started, but when the
gambling began Monday night,
continued through Tuesday,
Wednesday, Thursday and Fri
day, day and night, openly with
out my attempt at concealment,
in fl: view Of police, and mem
bers of council passing to and
fro the ordinary pursuit of
thei. business: then, after all Of
this, to not stop the concerns un-
til uo in the day Saturday, we
do not see where council is iuStl
fed q it's vehemence nor in say
ins car comments are Wllful: ma
licioVs and false.
Wat council says it believes
about It's instructions to police
being carried out, we have moth
ing to do: gambling went on, as
stated by US; council and not the
police are held responsible by
the taxpayers. The whole mat
ter hinges upon, not our COM
meDts nor our conclusions butt
charge, and the question is, was
wide open gambling going on in
the public view over five days in
the week. Were it necessary
we would have no trouble to fur
nish afidavits, also afidavits to
prove that a especial perform
ance'' Of the dancing girls was
given on Saturday night, intima-
tions of female indecencies being
the drawing card. Did this come
to the knowledge Of any Of the
town officers before the hour set
for tae immoral exhibition? Was
any attempt made to suppress it.:
There is nothing whatever ma
licious in The TINES article:
the comment was legitimate and
justified under the circumstances.
The TINES editor has no reason
to bear malice towards council or
its employees-most of them
have always professed to be his
friends-but when we see with
our own eyes or receive reliable
information which the public is
interested in or has a right to
know, all of the resolutions of
council will not deter US from
publishing the information
for the puolic good. While
council was resoluting it
could have with equal justifca
ton ordered The TINES editor
executed, his property confs
Gated, or that he be banished for
daring to give publicity to that
which. he regards q public incon-
sistency, The TINES policy De-
comes untruthful only when it
publishes distasteful things.
We challenge any member of
council to point out anything in
the character of THE TINES edi
tor OF the policy Of his newspa
per which will justify the intima
ton made by that body to prove
unre!iability. If THE TINES ed
ltor's public and private acts
were not as good, clean and re-
liable, financially Or morally as
any member OF Manning's town
he would sacrifice what |
little property he has here and |
go eJ ewhere, where men hold |
ing e blic positions can dlscrim-
mate >etween personal and pub
lie CT .ic!sm,.
There was. no need of council |