The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-01-08
GREETED WITH CRIES OF HLLo, OLD


couptercharges were nade-some well
founded, no doubt, and others utterly
ridiculous. Persons acquainted with
the two candidates knew these stories
and similar ones to be utterly false, but
the fact that such stories originated
and gained currency illustrates how
high public feeling ran and into what
depths of credulity its prejudices al
lowed it to be carried.
One Of the most ridiculous and at the
same time one Of the most persistent
ruInors in circulation was that which
ayerred with ali solemnity that one Of
the candidates, who was stumping the
country from Maine to Californian
this most unusual OF campaigns all
states we're doubtful, and all alike
needed the presence of the party NOM
inees-was not the candidate at all, but
man of much greater Intellectual and
oratorical ability who bore strong
physical resemblance to the actual can
didate.
The reports concerning this mysterl-
Gus substitute Of the real candidate
were somewhat conflicting. According
to the more conservative versions Of
this improbable story. the substitute
assumed the part of his principal only
upon occasions when the genuine can
didate was too much exhausted to him
self address the expectant crowds as
he passed from one railway station to
another in his speechmaking campaign.
This theory was given some color by
the extraordinary number Of speeches
which the candidate succeeded in
crewding into a working day of u or
Is hours. There was no stopping place
so small but that he would find time
and words to make at least q little
speech. and to such as gave no ere
dence to the theory Of candidational
substitution it was q constant marvel
that the mars voice and strength
didn't give out. Thus there were many
persons willing to believe the candidate
had physical duplicate to spell him n
his speechmakipg who would not so so
far as to believe. IS another version Of
the story had it. that it was the sub
stitute who was making all the speech
es and that it had all been arranged
before the nomination OF the candi-
date. This version stated in terms as
explicit as was compatible with an
avoidance of libel suits that the man
put in nomination by the convention
was so inferior intellectually that be
was totally incompetent to make the
brilliant speeches which the partys
salaried substitute was going about
making. This version Of the fairy tale
would have il that the genuine candi-
date had gone into the most secret and
secluded retirement Immediately after
the convention had nominated him and
that he would not issue therefrom un-
til after the election should have car
ried him up to a triumphant victory or
down to an inglorious defeat
In the heat of political campaigns the
most improbable tales will find Gre
dence, and there were found among the
duIler class Of intellects many men who
actually believed the real party candi-
date had never been seen at a political
rally and had never made speech
since the beginning Of the campaign.
This belief no doubt accounts for the
Interruptions that occurred now and
then near the close Of the campaign
when the candidate would be greeted
with cries OF Hello. old Bogus" and
similar remarks. But while no person
of education and intelligence for a mo-
ment supposed that the real candidate
was not daily appearing before thou
sands and making speeches there were
many who believed it not impossible
nor even improbable that be had with
him a substitute bearing personal
likeness to himself, whom he suffered
to make short speeches at some of the
minor and unimportant places at which
the train stopped
It may be as we'll to state here how