The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-07-09
MUST PROTECT PRIMARY
SOME REASONS WHY WE NEED
INTELLIGENT VOTERS
John j. Mcmahon Declares Educa-
tional or Property Test Works No
Hardship on New Generation.

t1oAA Of IfOpcrty Lest SOrkS NO
Hardship on New Generation.
To the Editor of The Times and
Democrat:
1t must be agreed that the priv
ilege of voting should be granted to
the men who are both intelligent and
honest-minded, and that it should
be denied, if possible, to both the
helplessly ignorant and the vicious.
But what standard can be PRESCRIBED
that will make this line of division?
Intelligence is usually tested by
ability to read and write-the Cit
eracy" standard or ''illiteracy" bar.
This is not altogether accurate and
just. 1t is only a rough sort of way
of measuring a mans intelligence. 1t
is the method resorted to for want of
a better. Yet no single standard
| (outside of the classification by race
or foundation stock) comes so near
marking the line Of cleavage between
those who may be trusted with public
affairs and those who may not.
The man who can read has tre-
mendous advantage over him to
whom every book is closed. The
reader has chance to be better in
formed, to have wider view of
things, with less prejudice on narrow
lines. Hence, Notwithstanding the
differences of individual natural tai
ent, the reader is likely to be more
intelligent; and with this better
knowledge he should have better per-
ceptions of right and duty, and a
steadier ordering of his actions by
worthy standards.
The reader belongs to the modern
world, and has the advantages of the
modern improved machinery for ac-
quiring information and obtaining a
larger and truer outlook on life and
duty. The illiterate harks back to
medieval days, and learns still only
at first hand, through only his own
eyes and his own ears. He is at as
great disadvantage in the world Of
| knowledge as the traveller is in the
physical world who would deny him
self the use of the agencies of steam
and electricity. The triumph Of mod
ern civilization in annihi' ting time
and space and bringing 8 the world
together under the readers eye every
morning before breakfast, or twice
or once week in the paper delivered
| by the rural carrier at the most re-
mote log cabin in the woods, is baf-
fed by the man that can not read
and still lags on the stage Of this
new world.
The invention Of printing, making
| It possible that reading should be-
come general, made a new beginning
in the worlds progress. The man
that can not read now should be a
curious relic, like an animal that still
survives from some former geologic
age.
Yet, there are exceptions to all
rules. Some men whom the world re-
| CARDS as educated are very narrow
minded, very warped in their judg-
ments, very near-sighted as to an:-
thing but their own business, very in
different to the duties of citizenship.
On the other hand some socalled ig-
norant men, handicapped by being
shut out from the worlds greA. thrr-
oughfare of information and enlight-
enment, the printed page, reVerthe-
less have much worldly wisdom and
soundness of judgment as to men and
things. Mother wit" natural apt1-
tude to learn from observation, unac-
countable inheritances from far-back
ancestors produce marvellous results.
Evidences Of such natural ability stir
us to grief that such men were de-
MED the advantages Of An education,
and thus forcibly held down to mar
narrower plane Of achievement and
usefulness. "Their lot forbade =
whether harsh fate" was tiie help
less poverty or the ignorant folly of
the parent to whom tine destiny "e
the child was committed. There IS
sometimes no difference between
helplessness and Ignorance.
Men of native wortf: il:iterate be-
cause so doomed bv those to whom
they are under suoiettiuu in infancy,
usually turn th,:'r natural abiilT' 10
such good use in labor and thrift as
to accumulate properly. Hence such
a man will hardly fail to own the
$500 worth Of property which "nCcr
our State constitution OF 1893 VII
entitle him C vote, though h" is iv-
barred by the test Of reading and
writing.
Similarly as to morals, character,
right motives, which no less than IN
telligence should be required OF the
voter. Men cut off from reading may
sometimes nevertheless shame the
reputedly learned in moral standard
and spiritual aspiration: They may be
strong characters with public spirit
and patriotic concern.
We may here note that four years
of war in defence of great constltu-
tional issues, the discipline and the
inspiration Of long service under the
ewes and the command Of the incom- !
parable officers of the armies Of Lee
and Jacksin and Johnston and Beau
regard-the spiritual uplift of wit
Messing and sharing heroic deeds,
must have been an education IN patrl-
otism and character to every private
in the Confederate ranks, even
though to him every printed page be
sealed. No college course could equal
such training to make a man-a man