The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1896-08-05

s .heme, he suggested and called VI en-
his opponent to specify.
Gen. John Gary Watts, candidate
for Adiutant and Inspector General:
was next introduced. Some one IN
the crowd remarked that he looked
like a boy. He told how pleased he
was to appear before the people OF
Lexington and give an account OF
his stewardship. He claimed the
honor of reorganizing the militia OF
the State after the Darlington riot,
so as to make it impossible for a SOL
dier to lay down his arms and refuse
to obey the order of his superior
officers without suffering the conse-
ouences; he said he had right TO
reelection by all unwritten law OF
South Caaolina; that he had been q
Reformer from the incipiency OF the
movement up to the present time
An officer who did his duty was al
ways given second term, and he
didn't think Gen. Richbourg would
beat him. He attacked Gen. Rich.
bourg's political career, claiming that
he did wrong in 1890, when he ran
on the Haskell ticket for this place,
and then excused his own shortcom-
ings, by saying that everybody did
things for which they were sorry for
af wards.
As Gen. Richbourg arose some one
requested him to 'scut it short. He
reviewed his military career both in
times of war and peace. He said
that when mere he boy responded
to the call of his country, sbouldered
his musket and fought on the bloody
fields of Virginia under the gallant
Maxcy Gregg. He was appointea /
drill master in the army of Virginia,
in which capacity he served until the
fearful struggle came to an end.
With portion Of his young man
hood freely laid upon the altar Of his
State, and with broken fortune he
returned to his desolated home to
commence the battle of life anew.
Since the war be has been actively
identified with the militia of the
State and now held the command of
Brigadier General of the Second
Brigade of S. G. V. He believed
that had he not taken charge OF the
(. ops the Saturday after the Dar-
lington riot T;llman would have been
assassinate6 that night, and as a
consequence the State would have
flowed with blood from the noun
tains to the sea coast. He acknowl-
edged that he made a mistake in
1890, but with this exception his
record was clean and he defed any
man to place his finger on one dark
spot upon it.
During the delivery of Gen. Rich
bough's speech this writer was stand
ing in the crowd, among whom were
many old ex-Confeds, and when tie
General referred to his war record,
they were heard to remark that they
had been through the storm of grape
and bullets, the smoke of the battles
he mentioned hung over their heads,
they heard the groans of the wound
ed and dying, and they could not nor
would not 60 back on an old veteran
and would support him at the polls.
The discussion between the candi-
dates for United States Senator was
the feature of the day. There was
more interest manifested in this race
than that for any other Office. From
the reports which preceded the gen
tlemen in this race, our people were
expecting the vials of wrath to be
uncorked and the very air surcharged
with sulphuorous epithets too inde-
cent to be uttered in the hearing of
even the mostprofane man. In this,
we are truly glad to say, our people
were agreeably disappointed.
Mr.. J. T. Duncan of Newberry was
the first of the three candidates to
be introduced to the audience. He
is rather young looking, with full
set of black beard and moustashe
which were neatly trimmed He is
about the average heighth, slim built
and dark eyes. At the commence
ment of his speech there was an at,
tempt on the part of some to guy
and jeer him, but as he proceeded
he rivited the attention of the audi
ence and kept it up to the end. He
started out by saying that be was
born and raised on a farm; that by
death of his father, the care of his
mother and brothers and sisters was
4 I o1o,,Ilono