Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-08-10
SKETCHES OF THE NOMINEES.
THE NOMINEE FOR GOVERNOR.

The Hon. Hugh S. Thompson is native OF
Greenville county, and is 46 years of age. lie
is a grandson of Chancellor Waddy Thompson,
who, for about twenty-five years, was one of
the Judges of the Court of Equity of South
Carolina and nephew of General Waddy
Thompson, who was for a long time member
of Congress from South Carolina, and after
wards minister to Mexico during the admins
tration of President Harrison. Col. Thomp-
son was graduated at the Military Academy of
this State, at the close of 1856. A year.after.
his graduation he was elected by the board OF
visitors assistant-professor in the Arsenal
Academy at Columbia, and rose by regular
promotion to the rank of captain, having filled
the professorshps of French and belles-ettres.
During most of the war he was stationed in
Charleston, and did duty with the corps of ca
diets in defence of the city and at different
points in the State. The cadets under his
command regarded him with great affection
and confidence, both us a professor and as an
officer in the field. After thewar hewas elect
ed professor of the Columbia Male Academy,
and, taking charge of that institution when it
front rank of classical schools in the State.
In the Democratic State Convention of 1876
he was unanimously nominated for State su-
perintendent of education, though not a can
didate for Office, and he did not even know that
his name had been thought of for the position.
lie was unanimously renominated in 1878 and
again unanimously in 1880, and would certain
" have been renominated without opposition
for fourth term by this Convention, but he
withdrew, at the request OF leading members
of the board Of trustees OF the South Carolina
University, who expressed their preference for
him as president of the University, to fill the
vacancy caused by the resignation OF President
Miles. Had he not been nominated by the
Convention for Governor, he would certainly
have been elected president at the meeting of
the board of trustees in August. He took
charge of the public school system of the State
when it was in great confusion and heavily in
debt. Under his administration, great re-
forms have been instituted, and the public
school system of South Carolina is now rapid
" reaching high state of efficiency. When
the military of Columbia was reOrganlZed IN
1874, lie was president of the first rifle club,
and it was under his command that the Gov
ernor's Guard attained such efficiency as to be
acknowledged by army officers to be equal to
any corps in the army.
lie not only did not seek the nomination tor
Governor, but it was well known that he did
not desire it, and this fact was stated upon the
floor of the Convention after he was nOmina-
ted. COL Thompson is good public speaker,
and his name will be tower of strength to the
ticket.
THE NOMINEE FOR LIEUTENANT-GOvERNO
John Calhoun Sheppard was born in Edge
field county, July 5th, 1851. He was educated
at the Furman University in Greenyllle, and
subsequently read law in the office of Butler "
Youmans. at Edgefeld Although young in
years, he soon acquired a lucrative practice.
He was a delegate from Edgefeld to the State
Democratic Convention Of May, 1876, and was
sent by that Convention to the National Dem
ocratic Convention which met in ST. Louis
that year. In 1876 he was elected to the Leg
islature from Edgefeld county, and upon the
organization of the Wallace House was made
chairman of the ways and means committee.
lie was reelected to the Legislature III 1878,
and was unanimously elected Speaker of the
House. He was reelected in 1880, and again
reelected Speaker of the House.
THE NOMINEE FOR ATTORNEY-GENERAL.
Charles Richardson Miles was born III st.
Matthew's Parish, Orangeburg county, in lo29,
and received his early education in the city OF
Charleston. Graduating from the College or
Charleston in 1919, he entered the ONCE vi
Hon. l. w. Hayne, then encouragement OF
the State, and began the study of law, and was
admitted to practice in the State Courts i'll the
spring of 1851. Upon his admission to the
Bar, Mr. Hayne made him his deputy to rep
resent the State in the City Court, and in 1854
took him into partnership. Mr.. Miles had
large experience in the criminal prosecutions
of the First Judicial Circuit. In 1862 Mr..
Miles received the appointment of assistant
Confederate States district attorney. After
the war, in the latter part of 1865, Mr.. Miles
resumed the practice of his profession in
Charleston, and in 1869 he formed copart-
nership with Hon. II. D. Lesesne. Since the
close of the war Mr.. Miles has been actively
identified with all the movements to secure
good government for his State and city. In
the Pilsbury-Lesesne contest he was promi-
nent in unmasking the rascality of the COM
missoners of election. Again, in 1873, when
the infamous board of commissioners Of elec-
tion and their tools had, by the most fragrant
rascality, defrauded Gen. Wagner, the Con-
servative candidate, out of his election as
Mayor of Charleston, Mr.. Miles was selected
to conduct the protest and contest in behalf