The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-05-27
PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY
TIE STATE CONVENTION.

The STATE CONVENTION.
Never before tn the States
history has party been con.
= fronted with a more serious
problem, and it will take the
practical operation of the new
constitution aud rules to know
whether or not the problem has
been rightfully solved. On it's
face, the constitution and rules
have the appearance of fairness,
: there smoothing in, either, which
will prevent a white citizen from
the exercise Of a voice in the
government, and, there can be
no just complaint of the rules
being too drastic, except posi-
bly, the enrolment clause, which
provides for the personal enroll.
ment of the voter; this we think
will work a hardship in many
instances, especially in the sparce
Iy settled rural districts, where
the secretaries of the clubs have
no special place to keep the
books open, and where no pro
vision is made for special place
aud hours whereby the voters
may know where and when to
find the book open.
=. Ia the cities and towns aud
the thickly settled communities
very little trouble need be to
have complete enrolment, be-
: cause, there can be designated g
time and place for it, but in the
country, we do not see how it
will work successfully, unless
: the secretary will devote extra
ordinary time and attention to a
s natter for which he gets no COM
--pensation. It-would have been
more just, and far better to have
adopted the minority report OF
the credential committee which
provided for secretaries to enroll
the name of a voter upon his
written authority, the signature
to this written authority wit
messed. Had the convention
done this. it would have shown
beyond question that it's profes-
sions of ting no white. man dis
franchised was sincere, but re
fnsing to accede to this. require
nent it gives room for the sus-
picion the purpose was to
cut Off as many votes in the
country as possible.
Some, argue the enrolment
requirement waste reach the cot.
) ton mill rose, but if this be true,
the schemers to curtail the cot
ton mill vote lost sight OF the
fact this vote is the easiest to
enroll, because they have their
Clubs at the mills, and their
!, leaders will see to 1t that every
eman gets on the books, but not
SO. in the country where the
voters live miles apart, if the
personal enrolment affects any
class of citizens. it IS those who
viii be pn5.to, inconvenience to
secure their nanes on the books,
and IN our opinion, this class
will be the rural voters and not
the cotton ill-operatives or the
voters in the towns. =. ---r--
Section 6 Of the constitution
which provides the length ofresi-
: deace. is an absolute discrimina
tion against the country in favor
of Charleston with its corrupt
practices. In Charleston a man
is allowed tovote if he has been
"a resident Of the State one year,
but outside OF. Charleston county
In order to- vote he must have
been a resident of the State two
years. Why should a man in
Charleston have a better right
to vote for officers Of our State
government than man in Green
vile? Notwithstanding that it is
recognized, Charleston is the
hotbed for corrupt political
methods and both sides is
rotten to the core, yet these cor
ruptionists are given the special
privilege Of one year residence
to vote, It is not right. and it
should not have been allowed;
1t has the appearance of a prem
ium award for the miserable con-
ditionS all factions in that CITY