The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-08-09
LIVELY CAMPAIGN MEETING AT
FLORENCE.
Governo o. Richardson's sSpeech--Lieuterant-
Govs:nor Mauldin'S teInarks-Cap-
tain Ti!llnan Makes AN Adj
dreSs-Bigham's Attack on
Governor Richardson.
1Charleston World.1

1Charleston World
FLORENCE, August 2.-The campaign
meeting here to-day, while not very
large in attendance, WAS one Of the
most exciting which has Yet been held
during the present campaign. Farmer
Tillnlan and L. S. Bighan, of Marion,
furnished most of the excitement, the
former making one of his characteristic
anti-administration harrangues, and
the latter by his speech, which was
delivered amid great confusion and
hubbub, carried off the belt as the
champion blackgUard and defaner of
good mems character in the State.
The meeting was held in the portico
ola large hall away from the business
portion of the town, and was attended
only by about two hundred persons,
including very few ladies. A larger
portion Of the crowd was from Marion
County.
The campaign party, consisting Of
Governor Richardson, Lieutenant
Governor Mauldin, and Captain Ben
Tillman, arrived from Sumter on the
early morning train, and after refresh
ing themselves at the hotel, were es-
corted 10 the scene Of the meeting,
where the exercises were begun at about
l130 O'Clock.
The meeting was called to order by
Mr.. J.. w. Beasley, chairman of Dar-
lington County, who, after stating the
objects of the meeting, introduced as
he first speaker
GOVERNOR RICHARDSON.
who was greeted with applause.
The Governor made one of his char
acteristic, happy addresses, reviewing
at considerable length the political stu
alton in this State, and giving his views
on the various questions at issue.
Touching upon the charges which had
been made against the state govern
ment, by certain parties, Governor
Richardson said that if the government
had been improperly administered and
unnecessarily eXtravagant the people
should uproot it from the very founda-
tions, and should kick out the unwor-
thy officials. They should not, how
ever condemn them on the mere hear
say of two or three men, but they
should take them up just as though
they were criminals, and try them
before the proper tribunals for their
offences. Ifany judge upon the bench
does not properly discharge his duty,
or does not behave himselfin a manner
becoming the dignity of his high posi-
/, ton. let him be brought before the
highest court in the State-the senate
and placed on trial for his offenses; but
do not condem.. him on hearSay with
out a trial.
Charges have been indiscriminately
made against the highest men in the
State, but [ cannot, continued the
speaker, believe that Hampton, the
idol Of our State, has proven false. l
cannot believe that the galiantry of our
Butler has been dissipated, and that
our supreme court is corrupt, as has
been recklessly charged, and | believe
that he who makes these charges is as Il
foul man going about slandering the
fair names of women.
The revolution Of 1876 was the grand
est revolution on earth; it was the
mighty upheav;l of infamy and crime,
and the restitution of virtue and right.
1t is a glorious story which you should
tell to your children, and to your chill
dren's children. | will not rehearse
the story of Radical ruin and dcgrada-
ton, but will let a comparison of the
tax figures suffice. Under the Radical
dominion the State paid into corrupt
treasury over $2,G00,000 annually, and
to-day, under Democratic rule, the total
taxes amount to only S700,0O0. Instead
of a Radical tax of twelve mills, we
now have a tax of five mills, a reduc-
ton of more than 50 per cent. Under
Radical rule, the State of South Caro-
lima was involved in an enormous debt,
which was never reduced dollar eX-
c7pt by disgraceful scalingand repudia.
ton, but when the Democracy attained
ascendancy, the State proceeded to dis
pose Of this grievous debt, by just and
legal means. They placed all doubtful
cases in the courts, and there they were
adjudicated according to right and JUS
tice. The last of these cases was de-
cided just last winter by the United
States supreme court in favor of the
State, and South Caroliua now stands
unburdened Of this debt and yet un-
like the states of Virginia, Georgia and
North Carolina, she stands wholly
without the stain of repldiation on her
escutcheon. From value of ten cents
on the dollar the Democracy has raised
the credit Of the State until to-day Ter
bonds are worth 10 in the New York
market, the highest point ever reached
by the credit of this State.
The schools Of our State while not
vet Ill that We wish to make them. are
on firm basis, and our higher institu-
tions are yearly turning out young men
who will prove blessing and a light to
the community in which they reside.
Education is the leading issue of the
day, both for males and females, for
knowledge is power.
When the Democracy gained control
of the State in 1876, we had practically
no common school system, and not Il