Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-09-13
THE MISCHIEF MAKER sHIRKs
Manning Makes Trouble But Fails to
Face Music.


Hon. Richard I. Manning Of Sum-
ter is the author Of the resolution
adopted by the state executive COM
mittee. to turn over to a sub-com-
mittee the matter Of probing into the
recent primary to ascertain whether
or not there was fraud, and, which
had the effect Of delaying the holding
of the second state primary, but we
notice that after he created the mis-
chief he asked to be excused from
serving on the committee. This no
doubt was to avoid responsibility. 1t
Is not the first time we have heard
of men urging war with phrases of
high sounding patriotism, but when
war is declared they hide behind a
substitute.
Mr.. Manning comes from a county
that polled nearly fifty per cent more
votes than ever before, but 1t went
for Judge Jones. OF course the Sum
ter vote was without any irregular
ities-it went for Jones. He claims
to be in for the square deal and
wishes an honest investigation free
from partisanship. If he Is sim
cere in this he should not have shirk-
ed the responsibility Of serving as one
Of the investigators, but instead, after
starting the blaze he leaves 1t to 9TH
ers, notably the Hon. w. F. Steven
son, the leader Of the house oppo-
sition to Governor Blease, to spread
the conflagration and make confusion
worse confounded. A cold footed pol
itician can never climb the state
house stairs.
This executive committee objected
to a proposition to have three Blease
and three Jones men with a seventh
man appointed by the chair as the
subcommittee on the ground that
they were opposed to giving the com.
mittee a factional appearance, but
1t proceeded through Chairman Evans
to make 1t factional by appointing
four Jones and three Blease men with
the head Of the committee, a bitter
partisan against Blease-the Hon. w.
F. Stevenson. Under these conditions
to expect the masses to have faith In
the subcommittee would be expect
ing too much.
This cry about preserving the pri-
mary system does not go with the
average reading man. 1t Is well
known that there is opposition to the
primary system, and has been ever
since its inauguration. The clamor
for a restricted primary has come
from those who are now crying fraud.
Two years ago Mr.. Manning's county
adopted a resolution urging restrict
ed primary, the, idea being to cut
down the vote, and we all know who
they expected to be cut out. This
cry comes from an element who
imagine they alone have the right
to rule, but as long as the common
herd has a voice, this element cannot
come into what they think Is their
birthright. Their only hope Of
reaching the political flesh pots is by
destroying the primary system en-
tirely, return to the old convention
plan, or have the primary restricted
so that the common citizen will find
1t difficult to have voice in the elec-
ton.
They prefer the convention sys-
tenn, believeing they can control 1t
easy, just as they did the last May
convention, but when the masses
have the primary system taken away
from them, or obstacles are placed in
their way for the exercise Of their
franchise, they will prepare them
selves to stand up for their rights
under any circumstances. The only
way these NAL contents can get con-
troll of the government is to make a
new constitution which will disfran-
chise the majority Of the white men
in the state, but this will not be at
tempted. The white majority shall
continue to rule, and those who OBJ
ject may as well content themselves,
for 1t is fixed.-Manning Times.