The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-09-17
CHOICE or A MINORITY.
HOW SOUTH CAROLINA PRIMARY
SYSTEM WORKS.

SYSTEM WORKS.
Had Conservative United on One
Candidate for Senator He Would
Almost Certainly Been Elected.
Heyward's Election Governor
Remarkable in Many Ways-A
Young Man who Had Never Been
in Politics and Almost Unknown
to Both People and Politicians.
Columbia, s. c., Sept I6.-The recent
primary election in this state teaches
some lessons and has more than ordi-
nary significance. The nomination Of
Asburv c. Latimer for the United
States Senate demonstrates that with
the primary system the choice Of
small minority may finally be the win
rer. In this instance there were six
candidates for the senate. Two OF
them, Evans and Latimer. represented
the old Tillman faction: the others.
Elliott, HemphiH. Henderson and
tombstone, all strong men. were on the
other side. In vote Of 5000 Latimer
received 1900: Evans 1900 while the
other four ran together. each receiving
in the neighborhood OF 1900. ANY one
Of these four was the second choice Of
the supporters of the other three. and
would have drawn heavily from either
Evans or Latimer. who ntagonized
each other. But the two men receiving
an aggregate Of ~, 600 votes got into
the second race, while the men receiy-
ing $4,000 were dropped. The majority
of voters were thus forced TO vote for
some one who was not their second or
even third choice That Latimer won
was due to the fact that he has for the
last eight years not been partisan,
while. Evans, who succeeded 3. r. Till
man as governor, was bitter. His rec
ord. too. was freely attacked.
The election of D. c. Hayward as
Governor was astonishing to the poll
ticians and surprising 10 many Of his
friends who were not "on the inside"
Mr.. Hayward is IS years old. He is
large rice planter of Colleton county,
planting the same lands that his father,
grandfather and great-grand-fathe
planted before him. He is a graduate
OF Washington and Lee University,
Virginia, and a gentleman Of polished
manners and very pleasing address.
Ar. Hayward had never before taken
for the legislature. He was not only
unknown to the people Of the state, but
until this year none of the public men
or politicians outside Of his county
knew him either by sight or reputation.
A gentleman of the "old school," and
classed with Conservative or anti-Till-
man faction, il was incredible that this
young man with no acquaintances or
political experience could triumph over
the seasoned politician.
Young Mans Campaign.
Hayward first made tour of the
state, meeting a few men in three
fourths of the counties. He made no
promises or combinations and had no
regular state or county organization.
AS general thing he had nothing to
do with the old liners. Young men
In business volunteered 10 work, and
these amateurs pitted themselves
against the professionals. A cleaner
campaign was never conducted any
where as was by Hayward and the
men who worked for him.
Heyward's competitors in the first
primary were Congressman W. J. Tai
bert, Lieut.. Gov. James H. Tillman,
former State Treasurer w. II. Tim
norman and ex-Solieitor Martin F.
AnseL All had been in public life
from four to twenty-five years. In
the first primary all dropped out ex-
cept Talbert and Hayward, the latter
having doubled the formers vote And
he won by 11.0O0 majority after a most
desperate effort had been made in the
last two weeks to rally the old reform
ers and farmers alliancemen to Tai
bert. who, next to Tillman, is regard
ed as the strongest reformer in the
state. The county was flooded with
reports that Hayward was a trust
man, a Catholic, an aristocrat, and
against everything that Reformers had
fought for. but the people seemed
ready for a change and the great mass
could not be turned. Jim" Tillman
took open part for Talbert, and called
on his friends to defeat Hayward. The
other defeated candidates were pass
i've.
Hayward lived on the coast, and to
indicate the work done by his sup
porters is cited that the mountain
counties where his name had never
been heard two months ago, gave him
majorities of three and a half to one.
In the precinct nearest Caesars Head,
Hayward received so votes TO Talbert's
nothing
This has really been a revolution
and those on the winning side believe
II means much for South Carolina
that is good. Hayward was earnestly
supported by men who were in the op-
posing factions few years ago. On
him they have come together Being
non-partisan himself, he will be the
first governor of the whole white peo-
pie elected in fourteen years and be-
fore the expiration of his term fac
tional lines will have been entirely
oblterated.