Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1900-04-05

Irol our OIate politics. The neceS
sity Of freedom of speech and tho
PRESENTATION by the candidates ol
their views, directly TO the voters
without having them tingcd or dis.
tortcd or suppressed by different
newspapers, will make the people
unwilling to give up the present
plan unless "something better" can
be substituted for it. You have
stated the defects in the present sys-
tenn none too strongly, and there
are others which occur to me, which
you have not mentioned.
For instance, it was never con-
ccivcd possible that man would
otter rs a candidate for high position
simply because Of vanity or Lis being
crank, still less that any one would
enter such a race with no hopes of
being elected, but simply with the
view of defeating another man.
There can be no Limitation as to the
number Of persons who shall run for
any office if they comply with the
prerequisites. The joint discussion
was intended to give the people an
opportunity of hearing both sides
and of allowing the candidates to
present their views directly to the
voters. The great mistake that has
been made was the attempt to divide
the time pro rata, or apportion it out
among all the candidates.
Thus, as you have said, there was
no chance for a candidate to make a
speech or do himself any credit, and
The people were disgusted to that
extent that they refused to tnrn out
to the meetings. I canvasscd the
State three times and there was
never any limitations on any speaker.
The arrangement was, in the race
tor Governor, to have the speakers
alternate; aud in the race for Senate
to invort the order of speaking, so
that the minor candidates could
every other day begin to have their
say in full while the crowds were
fresh and not be forced to take the
leavings of the audience tired out by
previous speakers.
Whatever else may be done, there
should never have been in the past,
and should never be in the future,
any limitation on time. 1t would be
better to have some candidates miss
speaking at every meeting than fol-
low such plan of gagging them.
The question now is either the con-
tlnuance of the present system, with
such limitation as | have indicated,
or changing it, as you suggest, and
leaving the counties to determine
what men they want to hear and cx
tend invitations to such, it being, of
course, always permissible for a can
dldate to announce independently
the places at which he will speak,
and 10 invite his opponent for the
Office to joint discussion.
The State committee cannot dis
criminate rs among candidates, who
comply with the rule, but the county
committee having control of the
meetings could refuse to invite those
men who were not wanted, ani, if it
should occur, which is hardly posi-
bic, that candidate would be un-
justly treated, he could then make
arrangements for a separate meeting,
to which his opponent could be in
vited. 1t is no light thing to canvass
the entire State and attend meetings
in forty counties; and it entails
heavy expense besides. Many of our
people do not even take their county
papers, and since the patent outsidcs
have come in vogue, with few
creditablc exceptions, the county
newspapers have dctcriorated very
scnsibly from what they were fifteen
years ago. Competition has caused
them to reduce their subscription
and whllo the subscribers get as
much as they pay for, it is nevcrthc
less evident that the newspapers do
not furnish az much and as good
news rs they used to.
In regard to the State committee
fixing the dates for the meetings in
the campaign, it has been considered
necessary in order to prevent a clash
in counties, and always arrange the
meetings in rotation 50 that in a
given week certain contiguous terri
tory might be covered. Ifthc papers
OF the State could be induced to give
fair, full and unbiased reports Of
speeches, and honest and truthful
statements as TO the numbers and
happenings at the meetings, the OBJ.
jections which you have urged
against the present systcm would
leave hardly any reason for its con-
tinuancc, and by this l do not mean
the daily papers alone, for they arc
read to very limited extent, except
in the towns, and the masses Of the