The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-07-01
s75 600 per aunum out OF the phosphate

SIS, 900 per annum out Of the phosphate
royalty. The State now has over
| Sl5O,O00 drawing interest at Al per
cent, which is being compounded. AT
the end oftwenty years this fund will
amount to at least 81. 600, 900, and we
will retire that much of the State
debt, leaving a balance of So, 600, 600 to
be refunded. At the expiration of
forty wears the entire debt will have
been paid.
| Who is prepared to censure us for
this great work for the people?
stand here before the people of South
Carolina and state that he who init
mates or insinuates that I have ever
received dollar improperly of the
peoples money is a slanderer and a
malicious falslier Of the sworn testi-
mony of this case.
When the written statement was
concluded he called upon any one
who believed he had been guilty of
any wrong doing to hold up his hand.
No hands were raised of course. He
did not believe that any man present
thought he had or would do anything
to bring discredit upon the fair name
of his father, so eloquenty referred to
by Sheriff Bradham.
Governor Evans sat down amid
long, continued cheering.
Sheriff Bradham came to the stand
and asked for three cheers for the Ad-
ministration. They were given with
a will by the crowd. And tbs sheriff
then said that things had taken a sud-
dou turn, and that he had to intro
duce
who had just filea his pledge and an
nounced himself as a candidate Tor
the United States Senate. The unex-
pected had happened, and decided
sensation followed. The crowd had
gotten up and started out, but every
body sat down again and Mr.. Duncan
began to speak. He had, he said,
been a charter member of the Reform
party, and he had been reared as they
all had been reared. He was a discl-
pie of Ben Tillman, and he would join
with them in three cheers for him.
Tillman had been denounced during
the day for not keeping his word, but
Tillman had always been true to him.
He had seen Tillman a few days ago
and he (Tillman) had said things
which he would report to them. If the
race was to be made for the Senate
with only one man in the field it
would produce bad feeling and do ir-
reparable harm to the movement. He
did not come there to make charges,
but he was there to make some fur
ther inquiries into an important mat
ter. He had asked Tillman did he
(Tillman) know in 1894 that Evans
had any kind of a contract with
Rhind2 Tillman said he did not.
Tillman's hands were clean, Bates had
made a possible error of judgment,
utEvans occupied a different posi-
ton.
Tillman had promised him to be
hands of in this race and he was 60.
ing to make it. He knew that Tillman
had seen the statement that Evans had
Just made and he had said: "God,
that does not reach the case; he had
better get down to the facts" He
took up some of the statements made
by Evans and commented on them.
The argument was not made concise
Iy or consecutively, however. and it
was hard 10 keep the connection. Eg.
ans admitted to having asked for pay
for one transaction. Might he not also
have asked Rhind for favors?
He then attacked the Evans Admin
istration. AS Governor what had he
done that entitled him to the promo.
ton to the Senate? His Administra'
ton had been a terrible failure.
(Slight applause.) lie had caused
more pickering and strife than any
man who had ever been in the State
House. He did not have the friend.
ship, confidence or support Of any OF
the men in the State House. lie had
spoken to Tillman about the dispen-
sary and he had said that his advice to
Evans had been to get away from 1t
by placing it in the hands oil board
outside the State House. Over this
some misunderstanding arose and there
were some words between Evans and
the speaker. Mr.. Duncan sat down
after pledging himself to keep up his
| investigation of the bond transaction.
There were Immediately loud calls
for Evans. The Governor said, when
he took the stand, that he was some
what surpriaed at the statements that
had been made. Many of them were
mere insinuations, and he had said
that he would take no more notice OF
dirty insinuations. A reference was
maze to the connection between Mr..
Duncan and Secretary of State Tomp.
kins.
Mr.. Duncan: "Mr. Tompkins knew
nothing of my intention to make this
fight until the very last minute"
Governor Evans: Il believe you,
for if he had you would never have
entered the race"
| Governor Evans went on to say that
it had been charged that he had no
friends in the State House. There
were all of the men from the State
House; let them speak for themselves.
He referred 10 the assertion that he
had been advised to take the dispen-
sary out of the State House. He
claimed the idea as his own and all.
other wrangle ensued.
Mr.. Duncan again interrupted the
Governor by saying something about
Governor Evans being the Logical
candidate for the Senate. The speaker
made an effective retort by saying be
was not the logical candidate, and he
was proud of it. The people alone
could say who should be successful
candidate. They were the only mas