The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1914-01-16
REPLIES TO BLEASE
Manning Explains His Course Re-
gardiag the Primary Probe
OF 1912.
W. F. Caldwell in News and Courier.


ef Sumter, candidate for governor
made a reply this afternoon to t2t
attack on him contained in the
message of Governor Blease, which
was read to the legislature to-day
Governor Blease had attacked Mr.
Manning for introducing a resolution
asking investigation into the election
OF 1912 and stated in substance that
Mr. Manning was dead politically. In
Tep.y, Mr. Manning said that he had
done his duty and South Carolinians
honor man for being true to his con-
victions, true to duty-but South Caro-
linians detest a coward .
"As I introduced a resolution in tae
meeting of the State executive COM
mntee, reference in the governors
message is certainly to me and justice
to myself demands that l take notice
of it
Some time ago l expressed my de-
termination not to recognize the ac-
ceptance of two factions in this State,
and l am determined now not to do
so; but this does not imply that shall
not resist an unwarranted attack
which is misleading and unjust
81 repeatedly introduced a resolu-
tion of investigation and did it because
was unwilling that charges of whole
sale fraud should remain uninyesti-
gated. These charges were made by
friends of both sides
Then followed the wording of the
resolution, which Mr.. Manning intro
dused before the State executive com
mittee on August 27, 1912, providing
for an investigation into the primary
elections. Continuing Mr. Manning
says:
q quote from the governors mes
says: The governor publicly stated
on tie State House steps that the
other side had stolen more votes and
put them in the ballot boxes than they
knew what to do with
There weer equally emphatic
charges on the other side. As mem
Der of the executive committee I acted
in the capacity of a Judge, not par
tisan. l felt that the surest way to
put an end to these charges was to as
certain whether or not they were true,
and l favored an Investigation that
would prove as thourough and expedi-
tious as possible.
"At the end of this meeting was
called to a distant State by illness in
my family and was, therefore, unable
to serve on the committee of investi-
CATION Upon my return to South Car
olina l wrote the chairman Of the
State executive committee, the Hon.
John Gary Evans, under date of Sep
tmeber 20, 1912, in part as follows"
Then follows a letter in which Mr..
Manning wrote Mr. Bgans that he
thought the result Of the election ought
to be declared on account of the po-
litical conditions in he State.
Then follows the resolution which
Mr.. Manning offered at the meeting of
the State committee On September .26,
in which the result of the election
was declared and that Mr.. Please was
declared the candidate of the Demo
cratic party for governor.
at would seem to any fair-minded
man" says Mr.. Manning, this state
ment would reveal the fact that acted
consistently throughout-not as an
advocate but in the capacity of judge
and as one who earnestly desires the
welfare of tee white mans party in
this State and eagerly wishing to pre-
serve the integrity of the Democratic
party in South Carolina and the in
tegrity of the primary urged thor
ougd and speedy investigation, and at
the conclusion of the hearing was just
enough and fair enough to move that
the result of the election be declared
in favor of Governor Blease, for whom
l did not vote have stood always
and stand now in favor of honest elec-
tions. I make no charges; on the con-
trary, l stated frequently that in my
own county tknew the election was
fair and honest. 1t would have been
grossly unjust for me to advocate
where I had previously condemned
AS to my political death knell,
there are things far worse than de-
feat-one of them is disloyalty to duty
i did my duty as I saw it and for
this I have no apology to make. do