The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-08-12


rendered the use of their Office pszzl for the
county campaga meeting on Thursday
None but candidates will be allowed on The
riazz4. The meeting will be called TO order
at IL O'Clock and the candidates for the
Hause of Representatives vii! first address
the crowd. The Candidates for county OF
fees will follow in regular order.
The candidates for Legislative honors and
berths 10 the county Offices are getting their
speeches ready for the county campaign, and
more than one of them have far-away gaze
in their eyes when oot actively engaged IN
doing the agreeable 10 some prospective
voter. That gaze IS the outward manifesto
ton Of the oratorical storm that is raging
in the canddate's mind as he eloquently ad-
dresses lhrongs of his telow-citizens. The
wonderful success achieved by Bryan almost
wholly through the fundamentally Of bis
elccuepce has served to cite our local can
didates to make unusual efforts 10 have
speeches in which there shall be we'll rounded
periods and harmonious rythm IN the ar
rangemeot Of words The county campaign
will be devoid of partisan bitterness and acrl-
mony, hut of elcque. ce there will be
plenty Keep your eye on the candidates,
they are loading up for the campaign meet
ings.
The racing team of Delgar Reel Squad and
several of their friends left for Greenvil!e
yesterday to take par: in the Firemen's 8
Tournament to-day. The team is q
picked one and is one of the best the Sumter
Fire Department has ever bad to represent IT
in a 6remen's tournament. The team is well
trained and has made in practice runs very
fast time, 80 that the 6remen Of Sumter and
the many friends of the squad expect the
Delgar Squad to give a good account Of
themselves and carry The Sumter gLme cock
to victory. The members Of the team
who will run in the race are: S J.
Ryttenberg, Hemby Smith, George Foxworth,
Eugene McCutchen, Graham Moses, Willie
Butmao, W S Graham, John Moran and
NG Os,eeu, Jr The uniform of the squad
will be blue serge sack coats, white caps and
white duck trousers In the race the will
wear the regular racing suits that they have
worn in previous races. Chief II. B. Bloom
and se7eral others accompanied the team
and will be on hand 10 encourage the boys
by their presence.
The matter of repairing the Court House
still hangs FIRE and it has not yet been de-
cided what will be done in the way OF i'm
proving the building. 1t has been suggested
by disintcrested person who has given the
matter some thought that it would te just
about as ecouomics! and much more satisfac-
tory to tear down the present building ard
erect new Court House On modern plans
A great deal of the material in the old build
ing could be utilized, and the actual cost Of
a new building would he but little, if any
greater, than the cost of the repairs and i'm
provemen,s contemplated, and the result
would be much more satisfactory in every
respect. The present Court House is inccn-
yenient and the repairs required to render it
adequate 10 the requirements OF this time
would necessarily he very extensive The
writer has not Investigated the matter fully
himself and has not the figures before him:
and therefore is not in position to hazard
any opinion that would have any practical
value. The suggestions set forth are, how
ever, worthy Of serious consideration, for,
if the cost of patched up Court House will
be anywhere in the neighborhood of a new
building, it will be the part OF wisdom to
erect new Court House from the ground up.
The county campaign opens with The meet
iag in this city on Thursday, and all of the
candidates are looking forward 10 it With the
expectation of making friends aaa votes
when they appear on the stump before the
people TIE next day the speaking will be
at Privateer, sud on Saturday at High Hills.
The mex, week the meetings will be 5ed at
Spring Hill, Bishopv!lle, and Shiloh. The
campaign will be devoid of bitterness and
the various candidates are running strictly
on their merits, and the question of factional
afiia1ion will not be raised on the stump At
least that is the feeling now uppermost in
the pu slic miud and the man OF men who
raises the issue will do 80 at their own cost.
1t is true that there has been an effort by
some woa!d-be leaders, who essay to WELD
power aud Influence and fear that cessa-
ton of partisan feeling and the obliteration
of f.csiona lines, will leave these without
occupation, 10 draw the lines, but as far as
eau be learned the effort has met with little
success and less encouragement. The people
are determined to vote for the best men and
will not be dictated to by self-coustituted
leaders The election will be closely con-
tested and the result will be in doubt until
all of the returns are in. 1t will be time
enough to make predictions after the first
primary.