The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-08-06
COUNTY CAMPAIGN OPENED.
First Meeting at Prisateer on tuesday
ssz:g.s K
Candidates and About One Hundred
Voters Present.

Candidates and About One Hundred
Voters Present.
The county campaign is under way,
but the speed it will make in going
from place to place in the county will
not break the record for fast time. It
promises to be q calm, easy, gentle,
le;surely, unexciting affair and the
only, persons who are liable to have
their emotions stirred in the least
degree are those candidates who look
forward to period Of Office holding
as a happy soiourn on the pleasant
side Of Easy street The candidates are
few in number save for the Office OF
County Superintendent OF Education,
which Office, Notwithstanding that it
provides the poorest pay for the hard
est work, is the most sought after OF
any in the gift Of the people. For sew
eral of the other Offices there are bare
" sufficient candidates entered to make
q race, while for Senator, Auditor and
Judge of Probate, the candidates, hav-
ing no opposition, will be reelected SO
easy that the campaign is just Like a
picnic.
The meeting at Priyateer was attend
ed BY hundred, or perhaps a few
more, of the voters of that township
and Manchester. While there was no
enthusiasm the speeches of the candi-
dates were heard with the closest at
tention and if appearances count for
the candidates who endeaVor-
ed TO deal in buncombe and glittering
generalities failed to blind the eyes or
mislead the Judgment of the thought
full and intelligent audience.
MI. Mcdonald Furman, who pre-
sided over the meeting, made the can
didates feel at home and at ease by the
happy and appropriate remarks he
made by way Of introduction when he
presented each one in his turn.
Hon. Richard /. Manning, who is a
candidate for reelection to the Senate,
was the first speaker. He stated his
position on the issues that he conceiV-'
es to be of the first importance at this
time. He fayers the enactment OF
child labor bill, the improvement Of
the public schools, th maintenance OF
the State colleges, the enactment OF
laws, state and national for the control
Of the trusts, and curtailment of their
powers and the prevention OF their IN
lawful and burdensome exactions. He
referred to his advocacy of road I'M
proyement years ago at a time when
many who are now riding on the good
roads platform we're opponents OF the
good roads movement. He IS still
believer in good roads and his position
on that question is now just what it
has always been.
Mi. John b. Clifton was the first
fthe candidates for election to the.
House of Representatives to address
the crowd. He outlined his platform
briefly. He is in favor of legislation to
restrict child labor in factories, the
improvement, development and liberal
support of the public school system,
the regulation and control of the.
trusts, the improvement of the public
roads. The liquor question he regard
ed as settled and not now an issue, but
believes that the dispensary is the
best solution of the matter that has
yet been devised.
Hon. Thomas B. Fraser, who is a
candidate for reelection, discussed the
issues of the day and in doing so gave
some account of his record in the Leg
islature. He favors the regulation of
trusts and corporations by State law
as we'll as national law. He has favor
ed and still favors law that will
compel all foreign corporations, wheth-
er great trusts or not, to become,
domestic corporations and thus put
themselves under the control Of our
State courts. He stands for fair and
Just treatment of all corporations, but
he believes that corporation should
not have privileges that individuals do
not enjoy. He favors the improve
meae of the public schools and the
education of the people. The State
colleges should be properly supported
but the people should know where and
how the money given these colleges is
spent. At the last session OF the
Legislature he voted against the in
crease of the appropriation for
Winthrop College for the reason that
the trustees failed to give satisfac-
tory report of the expenditure of the