The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1898-09-01
CLOSED At COLUMBIA.
The Final Meeting of the Political
Drama
DEVOID OF EXCITEMENT.
All the Candidates Were Present Except
Cooner and Berry-So'erigns kisteaed
Attentively ard Appiauded Frequently.
EDGEFIELD MEETING.

and they listened patiently and unin-
terruptedly throughout the four hours
of political pleading. Senator Tillman
stood out with the boys and seemed to
derive great amusement from some OF
the platform talk. Mr.. Cooper declared
his opponents could get no glory from
trying to tie the dispensary around his
neck. He was proud of his connection
with it. Secretary Tompkins said that
Cooper's very candidacy implied the
charge that the dispensary was used as
a political machine; if elected the peo-
PIE would certainly believe it. Capt
Bradham said he had not one word to
say against his opponents. Ninety
nine per cent of the voters OF Claren-
don would vote forhim, and his people
always called upon him when they
wanted some one to go to the front and
represent them. Col. Floyd said 1t was
high time for Gen. Watts, after his two
terms In Office, to rest from his labors,
unless he would place the military in
a better condition, and that his other
opponent, Mai. Blythe, was a lawyer
and it would be too bad to. nip his legal
prospects in the bud by giving him
this place which he could not fill.
Mr.. Featherstone got some lively ap-
plause; he declared that the dispensary
had given the whiskey an air of re.
spectability it never had before, and
men are now acting as county dispeh-
sers who would never have sold liquor
on their own account. Mr.. Archer
made one of HIS most vigorous
speeches. The prohibitiouists, he said,
wanted the bride taken off the terrible
whiskey monster while he thought the
State should take it by the throat and
circumscribe the evil as much as possl-
bic. Mr.. Whitman wanted to know
how it was that his name was placed
fourth on the voters ticket when he
was the first one to pay his $50 and hle
his pledge. He had done moro and
gotten less for bringing about the
privileges Of the people than any man.
Governor Ellerbe said he had been
elected Governor as the exponent Of
peace and unity. He had begged the
people to stop fighting and had done
his best to unite the white people.
Watson had charged that Senator Till
man had to nurse him to make him
keep up his dispensary courage. Col.
George Tillman was in the county OF
his birth and spoke to men who had
always supported him. Throughout his
speech he was applauded. His platform
was to enlarge liberty and reduce taxes.
Col. Schumpert declared he felt like
bowing his head in shame whenever he
reflected that the conditions were such
that the liquor question was the only
thing the people wanted to hear the
candidates discuss. He saw no diff
Guilty in solving the problem. Col:
Watson was also among the friends OF
his youth and they were glad to see
him. He declared Ellerbes friends
and newspapers misrepresented him by
putting in his mouth words he did not
use. Ellerbe had misrepresented him
today when he credited MIN with charg-
ing that he had appointed Conserva-
tives. His charges was that he had
appointed all Conservatives. Mr.. Bel
linger repeated his Aiken remarks con-
cerning his opponent. Ia reply Col
Mower declared that his claims to the
votes of Democrats were just as good
as Bellinger's. He distinctly declared
he had done nothing of which be was
or ought to be ashamed. The other
speakers were Messrs. Watts, Blythe,
Mayfeld, Rice, Brown, McMahan,
Derham, Epton, Garris, Sigh, Gray,
Evans, Stanseli and Thomas.
sALUDA MEETING.
Senator Archer scored President
Johnson for stating in his report that
Winthrop had received S3l, S96, while
the appropriation was only $50, 600.
Where did he get this extra money?
He doctored the account IN order to
make it balance. The truth was these
colleges had money to burn, and it was
being wasted. Mr.. Whitman asked ii
higher education is to be continued at
the States expense. Why not put the
colleges on the same footing as the pub
lie schools? Why not give the money
wasted on unnecessary colleges to the
old soldiers? Governor Ellerbe, re-
ferring to the charge that he
appointed a negro constable, said
that a respectable citizen had
asked him to send negro to as
certain, what negro had shot at his son
and to break up the Illicit traffic in
whiskey by negroes in his community
at Blenheim. He accordingly sent
negro constable recommended by Chief
of Police Daily, Columbia, with instruc-
tions not TO modest white men, but to
discover the negro criminals. The
constable did this, aud then his COM
mission was withdrawn. Col. Till
man was we'll received. He denied
that he wanted to destroy Winthrop
or Clemson. He simply wanted to re-
strain their wasteful and outrage
Gus extravaganza. Clemson got over
500, 600 to teach boys kid glove in
dustries, and Winthrop about $40, 900
to teach few girls q little industry
with few frills and furbelows, while
the South Carolina college got only
$50, 600. He attacked the system of CEN
traliZed government that puts township
appointments in the hands of the Gov
ernor. He argued for reasonable
license tax, with proper safeguards
thrown around it, to minimize the evil.
Col. Watson was on his native heath
and was greeted with rounds of ap-
plause. He reioiced at the friendship