The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1898-08-04
'| GOVERNOR HAXED WARM.
Denounced aNewspaper Man as a
~
Political Prostitute.
COL. WHITMAN AND HIS WIT
Created a Diversion Among the
Crowded.. Tillman Declared for
County Option-Good Speak
ing characterized the Ches-
ter Meeting.
COL. WHITMAN AND HIS WIT
CHESTER MEETING.

resign from mem OerSnlp Oh tEe pOHtu
of control before running for another
office. He should tast , the same medicine
that he gave the dlspensary employees.
Capt Bradham decls red that Cooper
had exhausted all the offices in Colletor
county, and after runL ing for speaker
of the House and lieut., nant governor,
he was on a dead rush iv1 secretary OF
State; he declared he would not have
anything to do with the dispensary, or
liquor in any shape. He believed If the
dispensary were enforced to the letter
of the law We would soon emerge into
the white light of prohibition. Gen,
Watts said he was not the candidate OF
q combination or faction. At Floyd's
own home Floyd had accused him OF
mud .slinging, and now he asked
him to specify, and paused for
reply. None being vouchsafed, he
declared Floyds accusation incorrect
Col. Floyd declared he would ignore
Watts and all his insinuations. Pent
up in Utica, Watts sought every sub
terfuge by which he could make him
follow his dirty work of mudslinging,
and he declined to be led into any such
ungentlemanly proceeding. He elo-
quently defined his Virginia nativity.
'Oh, bless that dear land" said he,
"the State that gave birth to the i'm.
mortal Lee and your own adopted
Preston should be honored by every
one Of YOU" Mr.. McMshan tackled
Superintendent of Education Mayfeld
for swinging on to the Office, humor.
ously declaring that coaxing could
not relax his grip and the
only way to do was to blind
fold him and back him out. Su-
perintendent Mayfeld retaliated by
declaring that McMahan gave up his
professorship at the South Carolina
College because he was obligedto. Col.
Watson declared for the dispensary
pure and simple. Unlike Ellerbe, his
back was stiff and could not be bent.
Mr.. Featherstone received decided ap-
plause. If elected, he said, even if he
had no prohibition legislature to back
him, would execute the dispensary law
so as to bring its prohibitiye features
more to the front. Mr.. Archer de-
clared that Festherstone wanted to
take from the people the free
will that God Almighty gave them.
Mr.. Whitman walked up the crowd
with his wit and vehemence. He said
Featherstone was not the candidate of
the prohibitionists, but that all sensl-
BILE prohibitionists were going to vote
for Whitman. Gov Ellerbe referred
to his appointment of negro consta-
BILE in Marion county. stating that
he had been elected to stop the
illegal sale of whiskey by negroes.
He secured a negro detective, whom
he instructed to keep away from
the whites, who did his duty
/ and broke up the traffic. "And
vet" said he, 'there is little fellow
running a newspaper in Columbia, a
little political prostitute, who can be
bought as O piece of beef in the mar
ket, who has taken this poor subter-
| fuge on which to make Infamous charges
| against me, and l had to sit
in my Office and say nothing. "
Col. Tillman made vigorous speech
against the dispensary. He wanted 1t
distinctly understood that he was for
county license with county option.
| leaving the voters to decide whether
thev should sell liquor through an Oil
Ger called a dispenser or through a prl-
| vate license or whether they should have
prohibition. He personally favored
prohibitive license, but preferred pro
| hibition to the damnable dispensary.
Col. Schumpert caught the fag end OF
| the crowd, which at that time had be-
| gun to hunt dinner. He was running
partly because Ellerbe had not meas
ured up to the standard of the expecta-
tions OF the people. The other speakers
were Candidates . Derham, Epton,
Mower, Bellinger, Blythe, Brown and
Rice.
wINNSBoRo MEETING.
The meeting was held in the woods
about three. quarters of a mile from
town. There were some ladies pres
ent, and for the most part the crowd
was quiet and respectful. Mr.. Cooper
declared that Tompkins was member
of the dispensary board when the dis
| pensary was disgraced, and one of his
own family had run around the State
| CRYING rebates. Gen. Watts declared
that Col. Floyds conduct at Chester
was unworthy of South Carolina
Confederate soldier Maj. Blythe was
plain and practical in his argument.
| Mr.. McMahan sought the Office of su
perintendent of education because he
had deep conviction that he could be
useful in promoting the common
schools. Col. Rice said he would stand
or fall on the record he made when su-
perintendent of education. Mr.. Brown
said if elected it would be his privilege
to work on the worst places in the
country for the education of the boys
and girls. MIR. Archer thought there
I never was bigger deception perpetrat-
ed on the taxpayers than when the COL
leges were built as poor mans colleges.
Governor Ellerbe declared that he had
been oz9~I>s tba~6Tst persons to Join
the reform movement, but that he had
been elected Governor as the-exponent
of peace and uNity. There are,
said he. "a certain set of politlciaEs
and little set of merceuary newspaper
editors who are political prostitutes
who have slaudered and abused me be-
cause they could not use me. l defy
them to meet me face to face before
the people and make their charges:
Col. Watson was very emphatic IN
denying he had abused Ellerbe. What
be had said was simple fact and truth.
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