The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-08-20
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INDEPENDENT STATESMAN.

Governor Eugene n. Foss, of
Massachusetts,, a life long Re
publican up to a few years ago
when he broke with his party
because of it's attitude towards
the sarif, and then joined the
Democratic party which sent
I'm to congress, and made him
Governor three times, has again
changed his party affiliations by
going back to the Republicans,
and becoming a candidate for re-
election; this time as a Republi.
can advocating tariff reduction
18th reciprocal attachments.
Governor Foss is an independ-
ant character. We doubt if there
IS an another man in public life
wao can succeed as he has done.
Z he disagrees with his party
nsdoes not seem to be afraid to
make known his views, then, if
?3ecannot get the party to follow
him he leaves it, and goes to the
other side. independence is to
be admired in any public man,
but Massachusetts, is about the
only State that will reward this
attribute. When Mr.. Foss an
nounced himself a Democrat he
was received into the party with
open arms. the Democratic press
all over the country made great
ado over the capture, and rightly
50. Foss is a leader of eastern
political thought, which was
demonstrated when he broke
with his party to join the op-
position and lead it to victory,
not ence, but a nsmber of times;
naa with such force is an &C.
auisition ALWAYS, but now since
he viii not endorse the work Of
the present congress and returns
back to his first love, the Demo
eeatie newspapers sing differ
I enbsong, and pretend to look
5 upon his going back as having
but little significance.
independence in politics, would
there was more of it, but wher
ever it is exhibited it fails be-.
cause the masses have permitted
themselves to be domineered by
5 crafty leaders. South Carolina is
peculiarly under the domination
of leaders and has always been;
whoever occupies the exalted
position is absolute. When I'M
mediately after the restoration
Of the State government from
the control of the aliens and the
sealawags the then leaders would
not permit anything like inde-
pendence, at a later period when
another set got control after a
revolution, the hush-you will
split. the party-idea kept down
self assertion, and now another
3 element is at the throttle and
it proposes to run over anything
Of independent tendency.
The great cry in this State is
the negro menace. there is al
ways the nigger-in-the- wood pile
to scare off independent thought
and action; there is nothing in
this negro menace, absolutely
nothing. There are not enough
of them qualified to vote to
amount to anything, but if there
was, the whitevoters can arrange
to submit issues III the white
pripary and settle them there,
IS they now settle the choice of
men. If issues not created by
party leaders could be taken into
our primary for settlement-say
the tariff, where those who are
protectlonists as well as those
who favor the tariff provisions
of the Democratic platform can
present their argumentsit would
tend to cleaner government,
freed from bossism. Governor
Foss would not stand for his
party's attitude on certain issues,
he went before his people, a rock
ribbed Republican State, and
showed them why. they did
not impugn his motives, charge
him with treachery, and en-
deavor to treat him as a public
enemy as would have been the
case in this State, but they gave
him q, listening ear which re.
suited IN convincing them to
follow him out Of the Repubii-
can ranks into the Democratic
fold. When voters can exercise
their political faith free from in.
tolerance it is better for the gov
ernment. and the people.
We never hear of public scan
dals in the government of Mass
achusetts, which is not unusual
in other States. Why? 1t is be-
cause the electorate is not bound,
buck and gagged by party. and
it exercises the franchise as free
intelligent people.
Senator Tillman made a speech
in the senate Monday against
female suffrage. and we expect