The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-08-22
Elimination.

Elimination.
| The time comes when each voter
in his own responsibility to 'el-
inmate the names Of candidates from
the ticket in order to get the name
OF the candidate whom he would pre-
fer for office. The people have in late
years forgotten the Office in the ruck
Of personal politics.
| Putting men in office should be jus.
like putting men in charge of depart
mcnts OF Industries. The first thing
to be sought should be character, the
second. ability. and then personality
No man should be given public office
or honor or place If trust who IL
without honor or aracter or man.
hood.
And then it is possible to have men
In cf!ice who have character but no
imagination or vision or purpose or
largeness Of perspective. 1t is neces-
sary of course, to have character, but
il two men of apparently the same de-
gree OF character offer for public
place. the next consideration is intel
lect. And it is sometimes quite impos-
sible in a limited acquaintance to es-
innate the degree Of intellectually
of men in public life. When the
chances are even, the voter should
next refer to personality and suitable
ny.
There are certain offices which re-
quire men Of one temperament, other
Offices require the services of men OF
entirely different cast Of life Some
places require poise, others require
Iaggressiveness. Some require tech
nical training in the law or in the art
or calculations, etc. But the office
of governor Of the State requires a
man of common sense and of charac-
tier. -
I'VE believe in a man who has his
own respect. but sometimes man
may ride hobby until he thinks he
Is a whole cavalcade Of horsemen.
Egotism is not necessarily a sign Of
force. Modesty along with self con-
fidence is the sign of the true man,
the lovable man. The empty wagon
rattles the lOudest and the man with
a single idea can make a great deal
of fuss, especially if that one idea is
his own Importance ~:
with these few predatory remarks
we wish to say that our personal
choice for governor of the State IL
Richard I. Manning of Sumter. We
had hesitated to express an opinion
up to the meeting Of yesterday, for
the writer has had q long and pleas
ant personal acquaintance with ev-
cry gentleman in the race for govern.
or, and respects alike such men as
Cooper, Irby, Browning, Mendel
Smith. Richards, Clinkscales, Charles
Carroll Sims and some Of the others
who may be factors in the race.
I'VE do not assert that Mr.. Manning
has any chance to win. We believe
that he has. The eastern part Of the
State is strong for him. We hope that
he Is a factor in the race and we be-
lieve that he is from the manner in
which he was attacked by the others.
1t is the lead horse in the race whom
70
gives us the impression that Mr..
Manning is the leading candidate for
the office If governor.
I'VE have long known him to be a
man Of character of vision, of sym.
pathy, of honesty and of reliability.
And we believe that if he is elected
governor there will be in that office
a man whom every South Carolinian
will in time come to love. He is a
man of gentle manners but of un-
doubted courage: ne is a man who is
proud Of his State, proud of the men
whose blood flows i'm his veins and
before he would be guilty Of one ig-
noble act as governor Of the State, he
would lay down his life.
| There are other splendid men in
the race for governor and we will not
discount their ability, their capabil-
~ or their character. but we belic\e
| In truth that the man who would
| most honor South Carolina is Richard
/. Manning, of Sumter. who should
be permitted to come into his own.
for he would have been governor
long ago but for the difference OF
opinion OF the people Of the State i'm
the matter of handling the liquor
question"