The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-08-13
CANDIDATES SPEAK.
Aspirants for County Of
fees Open Campaign.
About 300 Voters Listen to The Ad.
dresses Good Humor Preyails-The
Legislative Issues Discussed.

Legislative Issues Discussed.
About 300 voters, mostly from the
country, and few ladies heard the can
didates for county offices yesterday In
the Court House. Col. Crews presided
for the first part OF the meeting and
John B. Brooks for the last part.
THE ADVERTISER gives below u sum
mary of the speeches for the legisla'
was the intelligent and earnest discus
sion of the road question by candidates
for Supervisor and County Commits
sioner.
MR.. w. @. ,IRBY, JR.
The candidates for the house opened
the speaking, being allowed 20 minutes
each and w. Q. Irby, Jr., was the first
speaker. He thanked the people OF
Laurens for favors. Except two and
a half year at Clemson he had always
lived here. His only record was his
private life and four years in the school
room. Friends had advised him some
times to go to a larger place "but II
will ever be a pleasure to live among
my people. About my only platform
is the protection of the weak against
the strong. Jefferson still lives as
President Adams said on his death
/ pCu1 oho OabO VA W. -
alive to-day as ever. The trusts are
among the greatest evils of the day.
He pointed out the eXtOrtions of the
Standard Oil and Tobacco trusts. The
Guano Trust is the greatest evil thai
has aver been placed on South Caro-
lima. Prices have been increased from
two to three dollars q ton; this amounts
to from 5000, 600 to 81, 600, 900 a year t.
the State. If 1 am elected L shall ever
fight the trusts and IL in my power tC
take charters from these trusts L shall
service to my people | must begin while
l am young, before L am old and broker
down. l shall stand for what L believe
right whether L am talking to people
who agree with me or not. liz the peo
pie honor me l shall ever work fol-
what | think to the interests of my
people," Applause.
HON. II. A. COOPER.
Hon. r. A. Cooper followed. tive
years ago you honored me with cleo
tion and l am here to give ar account
Of my stewardship. [ have neveI
sought the applause of the multitude
but have voted as l thought best fol
your interests. If 1 have made mis-
takes they have not been from the
heart" Abiding to the pistol Law
which he introduced he declared tina
next to liquor carrying pistols was TIT
greatest evil. Whether the law meet.
your approval or not it was an honest
effort on my part to abate this evil
Features of the law as to the size an(
weight which some people ridicule
were to avoid the constitutions prOvis
ions as to the right of carrying arms
The old concealed weapon law did no
give the right to protect against inva
sion. The new does. Last year eigh
homicide cases cost the county $1,000
each and l shall do what l can to re
duce this expense"
fund to reduce the county indebted
ness. He denied a rumor that he in
troduced a bill for the appointment
of superintendents of education instead
of electing them. No such bill hat
eyer been introduced by anybody. HI
defended the road law, saying that tn,
law did not require eight days service
The law had to apply to all counties
He explained the law of dividing coun
ty %dispensary profits with the common
schools. AS to trusts, he agreed witt
Mr.. Irby and spoke of the pending leg
lislation as to the Guano Trust. He de
factory in the ~penitentiary' Applause
HON. FL Re
After thanking the people for supper
two years ago Hon. F.. p. McGowal
said that as a rule the delegation hat
voted together except in a few notable
instances. 81 found that Laurens wa.
paying interest on $149, 500 railwa,
bonds. My first work was to remove
legal Instructions to refunding the
debt at q lower rate. L succeeded il
getting through a general law provid
ing for refunding which enabled the
Supervisor to refund at from 4 to Al pei
cent instead of 6 or I per cent" He
e~ndeavored to amend the labor contrac'
law so as to increase the penalty. He
regretted hat his efforts failed. He
assisted Mr.. Morgain, of G~reenville, ii
a labor bill which passed the House
He explained his work in the congress.
sional redistricting bill. He objected
to grouping Laurens with remote coun
ties like Aiken and introduced the bill
which passed; putting Laurens in ;
compact and homogeneous district. Ht
explained his bill to reduce tax penal
ties and fixing time for issuing eXecu-
tiOns. 1t was an incentive to the rich
man to pay promptly while 1t helped
the poor man who preferred to wait
and would often pay the n per CEN
for waiting He favored a measure fol
borrowing money to pay teachers In
cash. He would favor a law to place
all county schools on a cash basis. He
voted for every dollar the Winthrop
Trustees asked for. 81 never missed q
roll call and on the last day when eff
forts were being made to place riders tt
the. appropriation bills L claim TO have
saved to the people for the present
$41 1000. Applause.
HON ID w MICIIOI
r. Wister Nichols said in part. 81
stand on my record. My ability con.
sists largely in keeping quiet. Tht
best best legislator is he that is the
best bill killer. [ think We have toe
many laws, OF 1900 bills introduced In
the two sessions 1 have been q member
900 were killed. / think some of them
might be dispensed with. / voted foi
most OF the measures introduced by Lau
rens members. / voted for measures t
restrict the trusts. 1 voted for Mr..
McEowan's labor bill though 1 did not
approve carrying such cases to the
higher courts. / believe more power
in these matters should be given to the
magistrates, that penalties of 90 in
stead of 30 days for contract violations
should be provided.
az have at all times stated that NJ
bill for appointing county superintend'
ents had been introduced. / also ex'
planned the Thomas bill to some citi.
ger which / voted against. This bill
provided q board of trustees which
~.1 r.