Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-08-01
STATB CAMPAIGNBRS
Plead Their Causes Before
SOvereigns of York.
BIG DAY IN YORKYILLE SATURDAY.

Candidates For Governor Discuss
Whisky-The Evans's Have Their
Usual Quarrel, ss Also Do Capers
and McMahan, Durham and
Booker-Senator TiIlman Winds
Up the Meeting With q Charac-
teristic Speech.
In point of attendance, the state
campaign meeting in Yorkville, last
Saturday, broke the record of the pres
ent canvass. So say the candidates,
aud so says Mr.. August Kohn, in his
report TO the News and Courier and
Columbia State. There must have
been fifteen hundred people present;
possibly more. 1t was strong re.
minder of the great meetings of the
early ninetics but was unlike them
in that there was a noticeable absence
of fpassion and prejudice. In the old
days demagogueism was at a prem
ium but those who tried it last Sat-
urday realized that it was at dis
count. If they did not realize the
fact it was because their sense of dis
elimination was less than that Of the
crowd. Tillman was there, and he
evidently saw it. There was no doubt
about the fact that he was among his
friends. These included many who
formerly looked upon him only as
demagogue of the first water; but now
recognize him as statesman of merit
and ability. The old hypnotic inau.
ence with which be use to sway crowds
to his will was lacking. He encoun-
tered not the least unfriendliness.
There was none 10 encounter. He
could see and feel, however, that
while he had full license to say what
ever he had a mind to say, and even
indulge in his peculiarly affected abuse
without danger of exciting serious re-
sentiment, his friends collectively and
individually, reserved the right to deal
with pending questions as their best
judgment should dictate. 1t was not
so only with Tillman; but with the
other speakers. Taken all in all, it
was an ideal meeting, for it included
all the conditions required for COM
plete justification of the rule that makes
candidates present their claims to the
people from the stump.
In spite of the threatening aspect of
the clouds overhead, it was determined
to hold the meeting at the baseball
park in accordance with previous ar
rangements, and by II o'clock the. big
grand stand that holds thousand
people, was filled to its utmost capaci-
ty. There were few ladies in the
crowd, but not a great many. The
speakers occupied an iraprovised plat
form, facing the grand stand, within
convenient hearing distance, and the
arrangement was generally satisfactory
all around.
RAILROAD COMMISSIONER.
After calling the meeting to order,
Chairman Brice introduced Rev. B. 81.
Grier, who offered prayer. There was
music by the Gold Hill band, and the
speaking was opened by the introduc-
tion of candidates for railroad COM
missioner. These candidates are
Messrs. B. B. Evans, of Edgefeld; w.
D. Evans, the present incumbent, of
Marlboro; Thomas N. Berry, of OAR
lington ; J. E. Pettigrew, Florence; W.
D. May6eld, of Richland; J. H. Whar-
ton, of Laurens. Each was allowed
II minutes and they consumed about
one hour of time.
There is lively and bitter quarrel
between w. D. Evans and B. B. Evans.
B. B. Evans is thu <aggressor. He be-
gan during the firSH Hahe eetings to charge
w. D. Evans wit3 incompetency, in
efficiency and dishonesty. His charges
are ostensibly aimed at the whole COM
mission but they are made in such a
way as to leave no doubt of their be-
ing intended especially for w. D.
Evans. In reply, w. D. Evans charges
B. B. Evans as being kind of cow
ardly camp follower who went to the
Spanish war, after hoslilities were over,
10 soft berth, accepted rotten posi-
ton in a rotten postofice, under a rot
ten Republican administration, after
which he came back to South Carolina,
and imposed upon people with rotten
insurance policies, issued in the name
of rotten Insurance companies. B. B.
Evans denounces w. D. Evans's state
ments as false, and when w. D. pro-
duces what he calls sufficient proof, B.
B. denounces that as false. B. B. also
charges the railroad commission with
derelection of duty and violation of
law in allowing the railroads to charge
25 cents excess on fares that have to
be collected without tickets. w. D.
admits the existence of this custom
but claims that there has been no COM
plant. B. B. asserts that the railroad
conductors have asked the commits
sion to do away with the practice, and
w. D. has to admit that such is the
fact. 1t looked several times last Sat.
urday as if the colloquy would lead to a
rough and tumble hair pulling match
but as to whether the repeated gentle
of Chairman Brice to the
effect that there should be no person
alties, averted the crisis, or it's all
wind and no thunder anyway, did not
develop. Both tried to tell something
about South Carolina local rates as
compared with the local rates of other
states but each denied what the other
had to say and it was very evident
that neither made much headway in
the matter of getting votes.
Mr.. Thomas N. Berry explained that
there were seven candidates for one