The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-01-08

the story Of the double started, accord
ing to the explanation given By, the can
didate and his managers, an explana-
ton. by tle way, that was accepted
with reluctance or not at all by many
Of the opposing party. Then. too, as is
always the case when sensational sto-
ries gain currency, there were many
who heard the story who never heard
the explanation of its origin.
According TO the explanation. one day
when the train was passing through a
city Of considerable size a gentleman
came aboard who bore rather striking
resemblance to the candidate so far as
features went, but who was much
smaller man and one who could not
possibly be palmed off upon the public
for any length Of time as the real can
didate. This gentleman and the presi-
dental aspirant were presented to each
other, and the stranger remained talk
ing with his distinguished companion
until the train had carried them out in
to the rural districts, and as the train
was slowing up at an unimportant little
station the stranger laughinsly sug-
gested that he should take the candi-
dates place on the rear platform.
The candidate good humoredly &C
quiesced to the proposal, and the stran-
ger actually. showed himself upon the
rear platform to the little group wait
ing at the station, while the real candi-
date remained within the car unseen.
Contrary to the terms of the proposal
and its acceptance, the stranger even
made little speech, the temptation to
do so apparently being too great for
him to resist. The speech was merely
a brief restatement Of some things the
candidate had already uttered in one Of
his printed speeches and so would have
done no harm even if it had been re-
ported for the press and again printed,
which was not done, as the place where
it was delivered was regarded as too
unimportant to make appropriate its
publication.
And that was ali there was to tie
story. according to the candidate and
the party managers. The stranger soon
after left the train. and he and the can
didate had never seen each other since.
This was all very well as an expla-
nation, said the candidates opponents.
but if true, how was it that the candi-
date was able to make such an impos-
sible number of speeches? And, fur
thermore, how was it that on one occa-
sion, due to somebody's blunder, the
candidate and his substitute both hap
pened to be making speeches at the
same hour in two towns a few miles
apart? To the first question the an
swer was made that the great intellec-
tual and physical strength of the can
didate made so many speeches possible.
And to the second question the re-
sponse was that the assumption upon
which it rested was absolutely base
less-a fabrication pure and simple.
And so things went on. with ever in
creasing bitterness upon both sides. to-
ward the end Of this most momentous
Of all presidential campaigns.
To such extent was feeling aroused
and to such length Of bitterness did it
go that, as the end approached. the
more extreme partisans were ready to
resort to almost any means to defeat
their opponents. There were rumors OF
plots to assassinate one or the other or
both of the leading candidates. rumors
which. when traced to their sources, it
is pleasant to be able to record. were
found to be wholly without foundation
in truth. But the ru1nors served to ex-
cite and infame still further the ami
mosities Of persons whose hatred had
already. reached fever heat.
1t was at this critical stage Of the
campaign that certain hotheadeG parti-