The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-11-04
PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY
EXTRA SESSION.
Capitol Correspondence

ssdoipgs" of the legislature. and,
it is gratifying to me to know
these letters have been enter
tanning and instructive: to some
at least. The readers Of The
Times well remember I had
doubts Of the wisdom of calling
together the general assembly
in extraordinary session. I did
not think anything would be
accomplished, which could not
beaecomplished as well at the reg
ular session, but recognized the
insistent demand upon the Gov
ernor from a large proportion OF
the electorate, and I could not
see how he could avoid comply
ing with this demand upon him.
Governor Blease cannot be crit.
icised for convening the legisla-
ture, but he can be and is crit.
cised for the part he has taken
to thwart the efforts of a major
ity of general assembly.
Never before in the history OF
5 the State has South Carolina
been confronted with such a con-
diion. The people are dis.
tressed, and have called upon
their lawmakers to devise a
], means to give them relief from
the present and future depres-
sion; they are facing a calamity,
and if there is any power in the
law to give relief, they appealed
30 the legislature to put it into
execution. How has the appeal
been treated?
From the moment remedial
legislation was introduced strong
opposition manifested itself from
interests affected, or l.:,t>'~ 20
be affected. The curtailment of
cotton production was fought to
the extent, the only measure
possible to get through is, to
my mind, of doubtful effective
ness. the warehouse legislation
only found its way to final pas
sage after being so amended as
TO satisfy the opposition of Rep
resentatiges from counties where
there are large warehouse inter-
esss, notably, Greenville, Spar
tanburg. Anderson, Laurens,
Richland and Charleston, and
which amendments, in my opin,
ion, will make the Act impracti-
cable Of execut: until the
regular session of the legislature
takes out the obstructive amend
ments, and place in the Act
more authority aad force. The
proposition to give practical re-
3 lief to the masses by loaning the
credit of the State to finance the
3 cotton crop, and save it from
being sacrificed, was fought bit
terly from start to finish; the
most remarkable methods were
practiced, and certain interests
came out from hiding and openly
undertook to prevent the State
from permitting its credit to be
nsed to help the people. The
newspapers in Columbia and
Charleston did all in their power
to misrepresent and mislead the
reading public, they daily car
red in their. editorial columns
falacious arguments; they would
publish any and everything in
opposition to the bond ISSUE
but when given a statement by
Senator Lide of Orangeburg,
enc Of the committee that was
sent to Washington to confer
with the Secretary of the Treas
nry, and the members Of the
Federal Reserve Board, they
refused to publish it. Why? Be-
cause, Senator Lide's article
would have proven to the gen.
eral public that the corporate
controlled newspapers of this
State are unfair, if not dishonest.
Notwithstanding this opposi-
sion-corporate controlled news
papers, certain National banks,
and the cotton mills, besides the
personal appeals made TO mem
bers by men suspected ashaving
been sent for to use their in
8uence-I will not say they were
paid, because I have not the
proof, but I will say there were
men from Sc Jeral portions OF
the State in Columbia for num-
Der of days and these men were
actively engaged in urging mem