The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1897-08-19
The Kershaw Meeting.

h6ISuhW . mcosAu6 WOO AOAo oe Noin
den, and there were in the nelghbor-
hood of 500 people present. Senator
McLaurin was absent, he having not as
yet recovered from his attack OF illness
at Yorkville.
Ex-Gov. Evans opened the debate.
BE, at the outset recalled the campaign
of vituperation and slander of last year,
and said that, dared by certain news
papers to make this race, he had boldly
done 30 and not one had republished
the lies sgainst him with which they
were teeming last year.
In entering this fight it had been
charged that he was fighting Tlllmau
BY his attacks on McLaurin's tariff
position, It is not 30, for 81 have
letter in my pocket from Senator Till
man, telling me he would welcome me
as his colleague in the Senate with open
arms"
After this prelude; Mr.. Evans began
to discuss the principle Of free raw ma
terial and continued at length. Free
raw materials mean raw sugar free OF
duty. As sugar was not raised in this
cohntry it was q great saving to the
consumer, But under the protection
which Mr.. McLaurin favors, on raw
sugar the price would 60 up. The sugar
trust, under the Dingley bill. can raise
the price to ten cents q pound If it
wishes. Other free raw materials were
spoken Of at equal length.
In the face, however, OF the views
held by McLaurin the, Demo-
cratic papers Of the State are
advocating his election. why?
They are either subsidized or
there's q nigger in the woodpile one, I
cont know which. The News and Cou-
rier editorially denounced McLaurin's
free raw material doctrine, and yet it II
supporting him. I don't know whether
it's subsidized or not II the secret do
ings in the closets Of some other news
papers were known suspect they would
be ssen to be subsidized. haven't any
money to be buying up newspapers
with. haven't $500 to make present
of to an editor. They tell you I grew
rich in the Governors Office, but God
knows am q poorer man today than
when was elected Governor.
Col. Irby began by charging that
Gonzales, "who was virtually COVER
nor, was trying to rob him Of the Con-
servstive vote by telling them that the
race was between Evans and McLaurin.
Gonzales told the Conservatives this
because he knew they 'hsted Evans
like the devil hated holy water" He
tries to make out I'm running as loose
horse to Evans, but the truth is Evans
is running as my stud colt. Col. Irby
further illustrated his point by compar-
ing what would be Evans condition
after the primary to the change that is
sometimes made in the equine to which
he compared him. Col. Hby, however,
who is farmer, used farmer term to
express this change, which term is
omitted.
Col. Irby then spoke of his record.
None of the candidates can attack il, he
declared, but on the contrary, Nc
Laurin says on every stump that he
voted right every time. He told how
for ten days he held up the Wilson bill,
trying to get the duty taken from raw
sugar. but failing, he cast the deciding
vote for the bill, as he thought it pre-
ferable to the Mckinley bill.
Col. Lby declared he had always
been q friend of silver. When the
Sherman purchasing clause was
about to be repealed, q compromise
for the free coinage of silver at
20 to 1 was nearly effected, he had
the deciding vote. He defeated the
compromise beause the people wanted
silver at 16 to 1. Gonzales undertakes
to say that he was against silver be-
cause he said he didn't know when the
Democrats would win again. "Filled
with malice and instigated by the devil,
Gonzales undertakes to come in here
and cram down the throats of the peo-
pie man who advocates Republican
doctrines. In concluding, Col. rby
said: eff you elect me you will have
two men in the United States Senate
not opposing or fighting anybody, but
I'll do as I have always done by being
true to the best interests Of the people
of South Carolina.