Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-04-30

the votes. If he can win in the pri-
mary after his record Is set before the
people, he can win much easier as an
Independent IL he Is denied admission
We do not want to be unjust to him
and his followers.
If the Democracy Of South Carolina
wants to put none but Democrats on
guard, it must decide the Democracy
of each candidate by requiring pledge
in writing that will define clearly what
the candidates opinions are and SOL
emn pledge to stand by those opinions
Of course, men may sign such q
pledge and then deceive the people af-
terwards but we owe 1t to our fellow
Democrats Of the country to at least
safeguard our Democratic primaries as
far as possible.
There is one other subject connect
ed with party policy that demands Sc
rious considerations. The large number
of candidates VINO seek the various
state offices and congressional and sem
atorial honors renders it impossible In
one day for those candidates to have
even a respectful and decent hearing,
Any man who Is fit to be governor or
senator cannot discuss public questions
in any intelligent way II his time is
limited. Some plan must be devised by
which these candidates who fill the
really important offices and who will
shape and control affairs must be given
en- sufficient opportunity to make the
people understand whether or not they
are competent. Many Of the positions
which are sought are largely ministe-
rial and the duties are we'll defined, and
these officers cannot change or shape
public policy in any material degree.
There is no good excuse or reason why
seven or eight candidates for railroad
and fifteen or twenty for
the other state offices shall be given
time at a state campaign meeting or
so little time as to merely get up and
make their bow. In the last state can
vass it required about five hours for
the respective candidates to speak, al
lowing only 80 minutes for the candi-
dates for governor and 10 minutes for
the others, not counting the candi-
dates for the United States senate,
who usually came last. The limita-
ton on the time Of the candidates for
the important offices, If 1t be contin-
ued, will absolutely destroy all interest
in the state campaign meetings, and
finally destroy the primary itself, and
I am strongly Of the opinion that 1t
would be we'll, indeed necessary, TO
have two campaign days in each coun-
ty, say six weeks or two months apart
at which certain specified candidates
shall address the people. The suggestion
has been made that there ought to bc
a limitation on the number Of meetings
to one in each congressional district.
This will never do because the people
are entitled to see and hear the men
who seek their votes, and, II such
system were adopted. there would be
few, If any, citizens at such meetings
other than those who live in the city
where the meeting Is held. The news
paper reporters would have to be de-
pended on entirely in order to get any
sort Of information as to what candi-
dates were saying and what lmpres-
sion they made, and this would mean
the use of the press by those who were
able to obtain its support to control
elections. Money would be freely used,
I have no doubt, and this does not I'M
ply that the press Is venal. But few
people take daily newspapers, and
nearly all the weeklies have patent
outsides. Somehow all of Senator Nc
Laurin's speeches were published In
these outsides or sent as supplements.
It was legitimate advertising, but we
do not want rich men who are able to
pay for such advertising to have ad-
vantage Of poor men who cannot. The
only safe way Is to have the candi-
dates face the voters and let each man
decide for himself. I warn the people
against surrendering the right to judge
for themselves. Government by news
papers may be very good thing, but
the people of South Carolina repudia-
ted it in 1890 and have no idea they
are going to return to it, and I am
therefore prepared to urge the scheme
I have outlined, as the best which sug-
gests itself to me. The two sets OF
could begin on opposite
sides Of the state and thus not inter-
fere with one another. The people
ought to devote. at least two days to
the selection Of the best men, and this
cannot be brought about without hear
ing them fully. If the people lose in
terest in their government. that gov
ernment must become bad. Eternal
vigilance Is the price of liberty Is as
true now as when 1t was uttered.
Senator Appelt's Questions.
Senator Applet propounded to Sena-
tor Tillman a series of "a questions, as
follows:
/. Was not the primary system In
to give every white man a
voice in the selection of candidates for
office?
2. Does not our party pledge allow
every white man to be a candidate
who pledges himself that he is DEM
ocrat and will abide the result and
support the nominees of the party? q?
Then why change it now?
3. Was not one of the main tenets
of the Reform movement to bring the
candidates face to face with the peo-
pie and that there should be free
thought. free speech and free action?