The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-07-11
4 Few Thoughts and Other Things
To the Editor of the Dispatch:

1O OuS IulGOI VI ctlS DISpdtCu'
The weather still remains on the
dry side of the fence. The commu-
nifty has been visited during the past
week by some local rains, but not
sufficiently to be generally satisfac-
tory.
Old corn has suffered from the
drought very much. Cotton is back
ward in growth but is looking o. k.
Messrs. F. W. Shealy & Curtis
Hallman of Summit, with their
threshing outfit, have just passed
through. They get along at gallop-
ing speed as crops are short, and you
know "a short horse is soon curried."
Well, the campaign in our State
is again open, and Judging from the
initial meetings, it will out rival the
one two years ago for indecency,
blackguardism and disgrace to the
State. I would like to keep up with
the proceedings of the meetings, lut
I am at loss to know where to turn
in search Of an unbiased paper on
which to depend. If I read the
Register, I am constrained to believe
that Butler is only a Ebullyragger"
and speaks only insults; if I read
the State, I must believe that Till
man is the grandest scoundrel and
veriest blackgusrd of our time. The
Register makes every meeting I'LL
man walk over, and the State makes
every one perfect round of applause
for Butler I think l shall try ''Old
Granny" maybe it will do little
better than the others, as I find it is
cooling off considerably and is not
fond of rushing into extremes as it
used to be. Coming down to facts,
I doubt very much the propriety of
bringing the campaign down to the
plane upon which our campaigns are
pitched. No good can come of it no
way, and it gives occasion to make
the political breach even wider than
before. Our constitution requires
that our Senators shall be chosen by
the Legislatures of the several
States, so I cannot see how stump
ing the State can do any good, unless
it were to influence the voter in his
choice for Representative.
Speaking Of the newspapers the
time has been when newspaper was
a public educator and it was of some
service and benefit to a man to read
them, but in these latter days you
can scarcely find political paper
but which is a breeder of dissension
and strife, and tends to drive the
people farther apart and make them
deeper enemies. instead of trying to
bring them together and educate
them up to an unpolluted and un-
biased political status. Our politics
are really in worse condition now
than four years ago and the papers,
in great degree, are responsible for
it. 1t is all most q lasting disgrace
for an honest, upright man to stump
the State now on account of the vile
stuff indulged in by the opposing
factions.
Let South Carolina remember that
she is making history for herself
every day, and every time she allows
her dignity to be trampled upon by
unscrupolous seekers for office, who
make all interests inferior to their
personal ends, just SO many dark
blots will be found upon the pages
of her history which time cannot
eface, and which will always remain
as an evil page for future genera
tions to read. Let us hope that be-
fore this campaign is finished the
crisis will have been passed and all
factions will have understood
one another, and all will settle down
into the regular channels of the po-
litical stream and pass on into the
smooth and quiet ocean, upon whose
bosom our grand old ship of State
may sail proudly and peacefully, IN
trammelled by the adverse winds of
faction and unbufeted by the mad
waves Of political passion. W. H,H.
Caughmans, S. c., June "a, 1894.