The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-04-23

tered over thousands of square
miles, Individually producing
each a few bales, that go to make
themighty " hole.
I am glad to have the privilege
of participating in this great
Conference, and I take this op-
portuuitv to proclaim my pro
found respect for the earnest and
able men who are making this
great tight for education. I real
ize that the lack of general edu
cation and the blight of ignor-
ance is the greatest handicap
under which the south suffers. l
believe, however, that it is caus-
ed more from poverty than an
indisposItlon to take advantage
of opportunity. When I see our
great crop sacrificed year after
year, I ask the question, what
ance against the combine
wealth and brains of the world
have the negroes and poor
whites, toiIing in the March
winds and the August sun, to
produce the great money crop
which the world is eagerly await
ing to infuse new life into com
merce. Association and co oper-
alton are the dominating prin
ciples of human civilization, and
| their only chance is to a ct
through a government, which
proclaims itself to be Of the peo-
pie, BY the people and for the
people.
1t is just here, that we are met
with the cry of Socialism. Well,
l must plead ignorance of just
what Socialism means. l know
this. that twenty five years ago,
the policies now advocated bv
the three political parties in ref
erence to railroads and pubic
franchises of every kind would
be considered rank Socialism. In
England, David Lloyd George is
carrying forward his measures
for old age pension bills and
government insurance. In this
country let one read the message
of the governor of Wisconsin and
the bill pending IN the Wisconsin
legislature. and be can see the
drift of the time. 1t is not So
ciAIism, it is plain, simple, old
fashioned justice. I for one do
not believe that we are drifting
in that direction at ALL
Our people abhor so-calIed So.
ciolism as much as they love JUS
tlce. I believe that what the
! great masses are striving for is
state of society under a gov
ernment strong enough and wise
enough to insure to each unit
just his rights and no more.
I think students of economic
aud governmental science are too
apt to apply the same general
rule to the problems of the day;
which they have deducted from
d study of ancient history and
modern European labor condi
tions. These do not apply to the
social and economic revolution
in progress in this country. Ana
losies with other nations do not
mean much, because they do not
take into account the great pow
er born of the spirit of our dem
ocratic institutions. This is the
only country where the demo.
cratic idea in government has
had a half chance for full and
free expression. 1t is nothing
bul liberty for man formulated
INTO a theory of government. but
it has in it an element which de-
lies the analytical sc,tlpel Of the
political scientist. It's spiritual
power cannot be measured or de-
fined, we only know that as it
mpels the individual to deal
Justly with his fellowmAn, so car
ried into government. it makes
the ideal commonw wealth.
As some animals moved hy a
billie instinct. cross mountains
and rivers uutil they find the
habitat best suited to the devel
opnent, so 200 years ago did
your forefatners and mine seek
this continent, feeling atopheti-
cally that it Was set lrJ for di
vine purposes, and still the hun
bic men and women Of Europe
eagerly seek thes shores. Amer
| ic.l is the dream that has haunt
ed countless generations of the
oppressed in their long weary
search through the tragic CEN
turles for justice.
In these later days it has come
to pass under our present imam
cial system that agriculture has
not been able to benefit under
that co operation which has de-
veloped our manufacturing and
monied interests. 1t SO happens
that the forces which have to do
with the manufacturing, fnan
cling and transportation of com
modities, have multiplied their
power at the expense of the pro
duction, until today they domi-
nate the entire government.
The development of a people