The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1912-03-06

interest in the political fortunes
or ambitions Of any individual in
this state.
Second. Our only desire and
aim is the promotion, to the ut
most of our humble ability, of a
better political and moral atmos
phere in South Carolina.
We do not see how this result
can possibly be brought by the
perpetuation of factional differ
ences in the state.
s.South Carolina has fully dem
onstrated her total incapacity for
self. government. If it were not
for the fact that she is forclbly
held in place by the other states,
she would, like many of the lit
tie South American republics, be
in a constant state Of revolution.
This humiliating remark was
made in the presence OF the writ
er recently by an intelligent non
resident, and although we con-
fess that our first impulse was q
pretty hot rejoinder, realizing
that there was no intention to
give offense. we allowed it to
pass, and since then we have been
wondering how much truth there
may have been in the observa.
ton.
Here we have been having q
Legislature passing law. a gov
|ernor vetoing it, and the leglsla-
ture coming back and passing it
over the governors veto. Not
only is this lack of harmony ap-
parent as between the legislative
and executive branches Of the
government, but it includes also
the judicial branch, from which,
as the resnIt Of a bitter contro
versy with the chief executive,
we lind the very chief justice re-
signing the high position and en-
tering the political arena as
candidate for the governorshlp.
Now we cannot believe that the
wrong is all on one side, and we
are no apolooiSt for Governor
Blease, the legislature or Chief
Justice Jones. We look upon the
whole thing rather as a tempest
in a teapot. and feel that the
best interests OF the state will be
subserved by setting aside the
entire outfit, and going back to
the people for fresh material.
What is the use, now that it
has been demonstrated that there
can be no effective prosecutions,
and in what way does it serve
the public interests, to gnaw and
chew over the dirty rags of a
dead dispensary? Why not cut
the whole thing out and make
the industrial and moral upllft OF
our people the one paramount
issue.
In a very recent issue, we stat
ed frankly the real basis of such
support as we were able to give
Mr.. Featherstone. 1t was not be-
cause of any belief in the idea
that prohibition is an infalllble
political panacea; This writer
admits that he was inclined some
what that way years ago, aud al
though he has not yet reached
the point where be can apologize
for or justify government sane
tion of the liquor traffic, more age
and experience have taught him
that there are still other things
in government. We believed and
we still believe, that if elected,
Mr.. F'eatherstone would attain
these things to a greater extent
than any other man in the pri-,
mary Of two years ago.
We have not sought to lead the
political, industrial or moral
thought of the state. We recog-
nize our utter incapacity to do so,
and we want to say now and here
that while we are not insensible
of the high compliment implied
by the confidence with which a
number of our contemporaries
seem to be looking to US for guild
ance, we feel too weak to assume
the responsibility they would put
upon US. We are only cropping in
the dark like the rest, trying
from time to time to make our
way in the direction of such rays
OF light as appear. If in follow
ing US any one should get lost,
the only satisfaction we will be
able to offer will be the explana-
ton that we are doing the best
we could.
According to our estimate. the
one paramount issue--the only
measure of broad, general impor-
tance-that has been brought for.
ward in this state for years, was
the warehouse bill. It seemed to
rise like a sun out of the long
Arctic night. AS much as we desir.
ed TO see the bill become a law: we
confess that we would not have
esteemed it a calamity had the
governor vetoed it. Such a veto
would rave meant that two.thlrds
of the members of the general
assembly would have had to be-
come it's defenders on the stump.
and Hon. John L. McLaurin, au-
th0r. o+ the bill. would have been