The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-02-19

POINTED out tQaG the statement %
which the newspaper was to be fore
ed to allow any man to reply did not
have to be false. The communica-
ton must be printed whether the
statement which oceasioned 1t was
founded on error or truth. The
newspapers would have to open their
columns, no matter how long 1t
might be or whom 1t came from. Mr..
Stevenson said that the first amend
ment made to the constitution Of the
United States provided that no law
should be passed "abridging free
dom OF speech or Of the press. This
same phrase occurred In the State
constitution as well. For these rea-
sons Mr.. Stevenson said he was fore
ed to take the back track" because
he had found that he was on 1.-The
wrong trail".
Nr. Epps Of Sumter advocated the
passage Of the bill, although he ad-
mitted that he had never been at
tackled by a newspaper. If you sue
ceed in fning a newspaper editor,
what is q paltry sum in comparison
with the destruction Of your char
acter!" asked Nj. Epps. II maintain
that the bill to require that you be
given the right to reply in q news
papers columns, is now an infringe
ment on the right of the press. II
It Is constitutional to fne an editor,
It is constitutional to require him to
publish your reply"
Mr.. Grice OF Chester, who signed
the unfavorable majority report OF
the judiciary committee on the bill.
called the attention Of the house to
the fact that al arge majority Of this
committee was opposed to the bill.
that only four members had signed
tho favorable report and that one OF
these had repented. publicity Is
Just as much protection to the peo-
Die IS the courts are" said Mr.. Brice.
"lf you pass the bill. you run the
risk Of keeping the people in dark
ness about fraud and corruption.
Mr.. Briee said that II the bill were
a law q newspaper could not publish
a report Of the speech Of the autaos
Of the bill without laying itself lis
BILE to having its columns tiled With
replies from men who migi consider
that what he had said rejected upon
them nor could they publish court
proceedings for the same reason. Mr.
Brice held that the libel law passed
last year protected all citizens. He
too, was OF, the opinion tina: the bill.
II it became law, would cocHsc:se
r,cperty-the newspaper space.
Mr.. Lilies Of Orangeburg held ths'
enough had already been said on the
measure to prove to the unp:ejadic-
ed that It was both unnecessary 1pd
unwise and "the entering wedge .c-
ward hampering the freedom oi the
press, one of the foundation st"les
Of liberty" He stressed the e:.ct that
the enactment Of the bill would work
a. tremendous hardship on the
struggling country press. putting 1t
to great expense. Mr.. Lilies declared
that II the bill passes board ought
to be appointed to determine when q
printed statement was detrimental
to the character Of man and when
he should have the right to use the
columns Of a newspaper.
There has been nothing advanced
in all the arguments for this bill
to show that the people demand it."
declared Mr.. Lilies. II am thankful
that the time has not yet come IN
South Carolina, and I do not believe
It ever will come, when honor and
true manhood, anything pure and
holy and good, need protection from
newspapers" After concluding his
strong and eloquent speech, Mr.. Lilies
moved the previous question, which
was to strike out the enactins words
Of the bill, and the House proceeded
to kill the bill by a vote Of SIS to So.
The el,ncher was then put on BY \
vote Of 81 to so.
. The following members voted to
kill the bill: Atkinson, Barnws;!,
Relser, Bethea, Bowers, Boyd. Br!ce,
Charles, Courtney. Dantzler, De-
Laughter. Evans. Friday, Fr'pp.
Gasque. Greer, Harvey. Haynsworth,
Hiott, W. E. James, Johnson, Jones,
Kibaer, Lilies, Lumpkiu, NcCravey,
Mcdonald, Mcmillan. Mcqueen, Mas
soy. Means, Mitchell, Mlxson. Mower,
Nicholson, O'Quinn, Pe~1es, Pyatt.
Ready. Riddle, Riley, Robinson. w.
u. Scott, Sherwood. Shirley. Stan
ley, Stevenson, Sturkie, Thompson.
T.ndal, Wander Horst, Warner, War
rem, Whaley, Youmans-55.
Tho following members voted to
pass the bill: Addy, J. W. Ashley,
u. J. Ashley, Blackwell. Browning.
Busbee. Clowney, Creech, Cross, Dan
lei, Dick, Epps, Fortner. Gray, Halle,
Hardin. Holley, Hunter, Hutchinson.
Irby, W. A. James, Kelly. Kennedy.
King. Kirby. Lee. Martin, Mel1. Mil
ey, Miller, Mitchum, Moore, MoSs'
ley, Murray, Nelson, Odom, Rembert,
Rittenberg, Robertson, W. 8. Rogers
Jr., Sapp, Schroeder. W. w. Scott,
Senseaey, Smiley, Strickland. Walk
or, White, Whitehead, Williams, c. c.
Wycha. G. T. Wyche. zeigler-5S.
HIS NNSMEN TO THE RESCUE.