Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-07-30


1t was now about l o'clock, and
when Mr.. o. L. Schumpert, of New
berry, took the floor, large portion
of the tired crowd was leaving. Mr..
Schumpert commenced by telling OF
the humiliation of his son at Chicka-
mauga. The boy had just written
about the matter. He was the regi-
mental orderly. A Negro officer came
up and ordered him to hold his horse /;
but he had refused with the explana-
ton "I am South Carolinian, and
I will not perform menial service
for or obey the orders of any Ne
gro, no matter how high his office
may be?" At this the crowd cheered
and Mr.. Schumpert went on to explain
how the boy had been placed under
arrest and how he was prouder OF his
boy by reason Of that humiliation.
Then he went on to explain that the
issue in the campaign was whisky, and
expressed sorrow and humiliation that
proud old South Carolina should be
reduced to such pass. He could not
discuss the question in the time allot-
ted. The alleged campaign of educa-
ton is a farce. Under the constitu-
ton, the liquor question is simplifed
to three propositions. l. The dispen-
sary as it now stands. 2. Prohibition.
3. Local option with license, high or
low. He explained that he was not a
Prohibitionist because he did not be-
lieve prohibition practicable. He was
opposed to the idea of the state being
engaged in the liquor business and
thought that the other alternative was
probably the best.
Colonel R. B. Watson was also dis
concerted by the fact of large numbers
of tired people leaving the audience
to get something to eat. He begged
the people to wait few minutes and
hear him out. Some waited others
kept going. Colonel Watson said that
he deplored all the political confusion
that had existed in this state during
the past ten years. He had been con-
nected with the Reform movement !;
but he was not responsible for any of
the factional animosity that had been
stirred up. He had done all he could
to bridge the chasm that had been
opened, and was gratiied that the
rancor was now a thing of the past.
Then he paid his respects to The Cot
ton Plant, which had been giving him
column after column. This paper was
edited by D. P. Duncan, who had
crawled into the Reform party on his
belly after he saw it was going to be q
success. I never said that Governor
Ellerbe had engaged in dirty deal.
said that CAN'T had said this, and as
Ellerbe afterward put money in Gantt's
paper, 1 considered that CAN'T was a
good witness. I denounced the met
ropolitan police bill as an iniquity. 1
had a right to say that a Reform gov
ernor should not have selected his
appointees from the opposite faction.
1t was true. If the Reform party is
not equal to the task of furnishing
capable officers, then Ellerbe should
leave it. At the time I made my
charges, Governor Ellerbe had Ward
law slated for colonel of the Second
regiment, and afterward he struck out
"Wardlaw" and wrote "Jones." Then
he ignored the militia in his appoint
ments, selecting his appointees over
five colonels and two generals, all en-
titled to precedence. / said he did not
tote fair with Charleston about the
metropolitan police law. Colonel
Watson advocated the dispensary as
the best solution of the liquor question.
He was glad that the sentiment Of the
people of Yorkville was against the
sale of liquor, and that they would
have no dispensary. If liquor is to be
sold-if the community will have it
then the dispensary is best; but he
thought the law was still lacking in
one essential feature-that there is no
provision whereby community can
get rid of dispensary after it has
been once established. Colonel Wat
son was notified of the expiration of
his time before the conclusion of his
speech, and he wound up with the
assurance that he believed that if he
was elected he would make a better
governor than any of the others.
Mr.. Featherstone is good looking
specimen of manhood. Stout rather
than thin, clean shaved, and appears
to he about 40 years of age. He was
received with as strong volume of
cheering as was heard during the day,
and commenced his speech with the
story of the bookkeeper and the goat.
Then he said that he was in this race
because he felt that someone should
represent the sentiment of the people
of the state on the prohibition ques-
ton. The issue is not purely moral
one, he said; but also religious and
bust ness issue. Without any inten-
ton of being considered irreverent, he
would say that the Almighty God
could not detect anything moral in the
dispensary even with the help of a
microscope. They had been trying to
cast slurs upon him and smother him
with ridicule; but by the help of God
he was going to advocate prohibition
on every stump in the state. The
.,o ,boul5 not 1ooly unnn this matter