The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-07-04
GOV. MANNING TO TILE PRESS
Points Out Duties and Stresses Op-
pOrtunities for Service.

Carolina Press association, now hold
ing its annual meeting in Beaufort,
addressed long letter TO the editors
yesterday, which was read by William
Banks. president of the organization
In it the chief executive recounts the
great service the State press has
rendered in the present crisis and
cOmmends it to it's future task with
utmost confidence. The letter read:
ments and the pressure of official
business preclude my attendance ut
cept this communication as a per-
sonal address to each member.
LAS governor of the State, / wish
to thank the newspaper workers OF
South Carolina for their loyal sup
port of the national administration
in this crisis. You have given
tremendous impetus to all activities
the nation and of the State. In your
position you have the power and the
responsibility of moulding public
opinion and sentiment, and this
should be done with unanimity and
with one end in view: That our, in
tegrity as a nation and as a State
can not be impeached and that there
can be no charges preferred relating
to dereliction of duty or RESPONSE
bility
1T was my pleasure to address
you two years ago on the subject of
penal and charitable institutions,
and it is with great satisfaction that
l am now able to tell you that since
that time there has been a gradual
development and many notable
changes for the better. There has
been an apparent educational uplift,
which also owes a large portion of
it's success to the support of the
newspapers. These reforms apply
especially to taxation, as that prob
lem will be accentuated because of
war conditions. Our best efforts
should be made to improve our pres
ent system and put on the books the
vast amount of property that now
escapes taxation. The assistance of
the press is needed to impress this
matter on the public mind. We must
face these problems frankly and
boldly. Our State yet needs a great
mahy reforms and helpful laws,
none of which can be intelligently re-
ceived without the help of the news
papers to prepare the public mind.
But above all else you and / are
Americans. Our country is at war
with nation that has built the most
powerful military machine and au-
tocracy the world has ever known.
The war is SO vast that we can not
realize its extent or its terrible con :
sequences. 1t is the province of the
newspapers to present the case to our
people so that they may understand
the seriousness of the situation and
so that they may assist the country
through united efforts and service.
1.-The newspapers of South Carolina
have rendered a wonderful service il
forwarding the success of the Liberty
loan, the Red Cross fund, the regis
tration Of our young men and Of the
recruiting service. But these mat
ters are only the beginning, the
ground work of what you may be
called on to do for the good of the
unselfishness and zeal in the work
already accomplished. / know that
you will be steadfast i'm the future
calls upon you and that no call upon
your time and your service will fall
upon unheeding ears or unwilling
hands.
"You have a responsibility and a
duty that seems almost God given
We have seen what the press of
Great Britain did under the inspira-
| ton Of Lord NOrthcliffe. This war
for humanity, freedom and democ-
| racy was kept going until the United
States could come in and share the
| responsibility Of carrying it to "a
wonderful end. And so, therefore,
the press Of America, and especially
the press of South Carolina, has Il
great mission to fill and a great op-
portunity for service. You must
assume the lead in preparing the way
for activities and in so presenting
the facts that the people will under
stand.