The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-08-05
Drawing to a Close.
ONLY THIRTEEN MORE
COUNTIES TO BE
VISITED.

The following review of the work of
the State campaign is from the State OF
today.
The State campaign is now drawing to
a close. There are ouly 13 more meet
iugs TO be held. This week, next week
and two days out of the following week
vii! be consumed by the candidates aud
then there will be oriee resting spell
until the primary is held. The cam
paign closes on Wednesday. the 18th.
To-day the circus will be at Lexington,
tomorrow at Winasboro and on Wednes-
day special performance is to be
given at the capital of the State. The
meeting here will be held at Shandoo
and i, is very doubtful whether the peo
pie of the city proper will realize that a
campaign meeting is 10 progress. From
Columbia the campaign party movesto
Orangeburg, thence to Ne~berry and
concludes the week at Lsurens. Up to
date the campaign, so far as results 60, 1t
may be said has not changed the out
look 10 the sligetst degree With toe ex-
ceptiou of the race for the adjutant
geueralship and the lieutenant governor
ship. Some votes may have been
changed 10 these two fights. That the
s,yle Of campaign which has been so
freely INDUCED in up to the past week
has done the people Of the State any
good in any way, shape or form 90 one
can assert. On the contrary, one hears
everywhere the statement made that 1t
has done harm.
The greatest result of the campaign
so far seems to have been that G. Walt
Whitman has had a baby named for
him since the campaign opened 1t is
needless to remark that this baby's sur.
name is not Saluda. 1t is one of those
dear, little, roaring kind of babies that
all fathers are familiar With. Onessof
the straogess things about this can-
paigr is that almost every fellow who
is running for Office feels morally GER
sasa in his own mind that be is going
to be elected.
The campaign opened lo no cad Of
talk about the bond business a0d those
commissions Everybody has been look
ing for developments in regard to this
matter, bat it seems to have disappeared
as one of the features of the campaign.
1t is rare that it is mentioned, and on
several occasions the people have told
Governor Evans that they did act care
to hear anything from bin on the sub
ject. Then came Senator Tillman's
letter, which seems to have turned the
tide in Evans favor. He never forgets
to call attention to the letter and Is
seems to satisfy his adhereuts that he
is the man that Honest Ben Tillmau
wants 1t has had considerable effect oD
the compaign. Then there was the
fight between Evans and Earle, which
was so unfavorsbiy commented upon by
people on both sides that it caused the
campaign to be pitched on hlg ber
plane since.
At the Barwell meeticg Mr.. Duncan
created much Of sensation BY telling
what oCi. MixsoD had said about the
whiskey rebates. When neither Evans
por Nilsson, though they we're present,
said word, i. was thought that the
whiskey rebate matter was about to have
some light thrown upon it at last. But
tine went on. Gilman made speech
at Orangebarg. but he said never
word. though Evans vas quoted as say
ing that the man of pitchfork fame had
lined his pockets with rebate money
Mixson gave an interview declaring
that Evans had cot gotten cent of the
rebates, .and since then the rebate mat
ter seems to be at standstill. Every.
body connected with the matter is saw
ing wood and saying nothing. 10 other
words they are all holding their tongues.
It looks now as If the rebate matter has
about petered out. Unless something
unexpected now develops there is no
doubt that the rest Of the campaign will
be tame and will have practically no
effect on the present outlook. But it is
always the unexpected that happens
and there is DO telling what may de.
velop before the thing is finished.
There is a lively little uudercurrent
fight being waged by good many of
the leaders of the Reform faction and it
may take shape at any moment.
There now seems to be a desire on
the part Of good many to have a meet
iog Of the State executive committee
called for the purpose of stopping the
campaign where it is, ordering State
convention to be held and letting down
the bars for any one to enter the sena-
torial race. Ooe Of the strongest Re-
form members of the committee so ex-
pressed himself few days ago If this
we're done, of course it would let down
~ h,re .leo for thoso doeirino RI run