The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1910-08-24
VI BRYAN ADVOCATES COUNTY OPTION.

WI. BRYAN ADVOCATES COUNTY OPTION.
II 50 good and brainy q man
as William Jennings Bryan can
advocate local option, with the
county as the unit, then we feel
that we are in good company
THE TINES editor has been ad-
vocatins local option ever since
IS9S, he introduced into the
Senate the tirst local option bill
ever introduced in that body,
and too,. when the State dispen-
sary was in the zenith Of its pop
ularity. When he was advocat-
ing local option some Of the
present latter-day converts 70
statewide prohibition We're
working and advocating the
state-dispensary. even when the
institution was conceded to be
rotton with corruption. How
long is it since it was worth q
mans political career to stand
up and tell the people they We're
being robbed by the manage
ment OF the State dispensary::
Not so long ago but what the
people still remember. At that
time THE TINES editor did not
take the popular view, but had
the temerity to tell the people
the truth as be saw 1t, and as
they learned later was the
truth. Had he played for politi-
cal advantage, he would have
done what some Of the present
day prohibitionists did, either
said nothing, or clung on to the
tail board Of the state dispensary
wagon until the thing was ditch
"a bv the wrath Of an outraged
people, and even then was THE
TINES editor playing for popu-
lar politics. be would have been
the loudest mouthed advocate Of
prohibition there was in the
county. even more noisy If not
more in earnest than the real,
true, and sincere prohioitionists-
It is the latter day prohibition
lists who would crowd the sin.
cere ones off, and for the Office
they are seeking make the most
vehement pretensions. THE
TINES editor has been consist
emily advocating local option
these many years, and he pro
poses to stand by that principle
as long as the federal laws per
nit the shipment of liquor into
the State. Because he believes
it is a sane principle.
In this connection we would
like to state that some criticism
has been made Of the course Of
the senator from this county
with regard to the Clarendon
dispensary, the people having
voted it out, and the senator not
having taken the vote in that
election as an instruction to vote
for statewide prohibition. 1t is
hardly necessary to explain this.
as the people are conversant
with the facts, which are as fol-
lows:
1st. The senator was elected
on a local option platform TWO
years before the dispensary was
voted out.
Ind. AS local optionist he
exercised his right to vote for
or against the closing Of the
dispensacy, the election was lor
this purpose.
3rd. He did not regard the
vote to close the dispensary an
instruction for statewide prohi-
bition, and no such proposition
was put to the voters. The only
question then was, shall the
Clarendon dispensary oe voted
out. The majority said yes. but
thew never did say statewide
prohibition. They voted out the
dispensary for various reasons,
some voted aga::cSt 1t because
the price of the liquor was TOO
high, and the quality TOO poor,
others voted against it because
it was drawing trade to Man
ming, and still others voted
against it because they claimed
they were being made to pay for
artesian water, whild large
number no doubt voted against
it because they hoped to get
h:sition. Have they got it:
When the dispensary was
voted out it left in that !nstitu
ton 4 large amount Of liquor on
hand with no way to dispose Of
1t. Rent, Insurance, hired
watchman, board Of control and
other expenses We're going on,
the senator after studying what
course 70 pursue to save as much
money for the taxpayers as pos
sible, concluded TO introduce L
bill providing for the reopening
Of it TO dispose Of the stock on
hand, and in that biil was pro
vision to prohibit any replcni>h
ing of the stock. This WAS done
solely in the interest OF the tax
yayc,S, and not for the purpose
{: continuing the dispen>,ry. y
delegation from Manning came
70 Columbia 70 protest against
the bill, and the dispensarE com
mittee which was composed Of