The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-07-23
TOMBSTONE Begins
TO SMASH RECORDS.
al Hampton Meeting HenphiII and
LatiHer Receive Severe Handling.

Hampton, July l9.-Ihe senatorial
and congressional meeting was held
here today in the Court House in the
presence of about two hundred and
fifty people. The only interesting fea-
ture of the meeting, like old wine,
was reserved for the last. Col. George
Johnstone felt that the time had
come for him to speak out in meeting.
He undertook to smash some of the
records which have been held up to at
least half Of the people Of the State.
Col. JohGstone was the last speaker.
With him ship subsidy and the Philip
pines were minor issues today. Messrs.
Latimer's and Hemphill's record de-
manded his attention. He spoke OF
Mr.. Hemphill's claim to nominal citi-
zenship in South Carolina during the
past ten years, the majority of his
time being spent in Washington. Col.
Johnssone took up Mr. sHemphil's
claim to fighting the force bill while
in Congress, when the truth of the
matter is that, although backed by an
outraged Southern sentiment, the
House of which he was member pass
ed Che measure and it would have pass
ed the Senate and become a law had
not the Silver Republicans OF the
Northwest come to the assistance of the
Democratic Senators and killed the
bill. He compared Mr.. Hemphill to
the ignorant negro fireman who claim
ed that he saved the boiler from ex-
plcding by simply blowing the whistle.
. Mr.. Latimer's record In Congress
has been one of increased taxation,
in fact to the extent Of $40 per capita.
He acknowledges that he has ircreas-
ed the taxes to buy seed to, send out to
the people to secure votes to elect him
to Congress and, fearing that this
will not catch them, he sends ont bull
letins for the same purpose at an IN
creased appropriation.
Mr.. Johnstone took up the charge
made by Mr.. Evans at Orangeburg
that Mr.. Latimer had voted to give
the Pennsylvania Road piece Of prop
erty valued at S3, 600, 600, and that Mr..
Latimer had admitted this at Bamberg
last Friday. The appropriation of
$3.50, 600 to help the Charleston Expos
ition out of a hole was something that
the State might get back indirectly
same day in the future and he is glad
that it was secured, but this gift OF
national property, valued at s., GOO,
600, is something inexcusable. Again
Mr.. Johnstone charged Mr.. Latinaer
with acting in bad faith with the peo-
ple when he distributed thousands Of
copies Of speech alleged to have
made in the House against the ship
subsidy bill, and on the date that the
State Convention met in Columbia, IN
May, when to his own knowledge Mr.
Latimer was in Columbia on the floor
of the Convention electioneering for
the same Office to which he is now as
piring. This he denounced as delu-
sion and fraud. Mr.. Johnstone then
spoke Of the Constitutional Conven-
tion and the suffrage clause, which
forever fixes the status Of the white
mans government in this State. I'm
like some of his competitors he is not
seeking this Office for the money that
is in it and would never sink to so low
a level. Col. Johnston was at his
best today, and his peroration was
most eloquent and mastery.
Mr.. Latimer at the conclusion Of
COt. 4JOuuS6OuO . SPOOSsI ooeAoSSA oAA'-e
the Government derives its taxes from
revenue and the money will accumu-
late in the treasury. If he did not get
these appropriations it would be given
to other sections of the Union, and
he wanted every dollar brought to the
South. In regard to the ship subsidy
speech he said he was in Columbia the
day of the Convention, butin a day or
two afterwards he attempted to deliver
the speech sand proceeded five
minutes with it, when the Speaker
called him down, claiming that the
speech was not germane to the subject
under discussion. He then obtained
permission to have it published in the
Congressional Record and sent out
copies to his constituents. As to the
Pennsylvania Railway property he
made the same statement that he did
at Bamberg, and added that it was
an exchange of a piece of property,
but he did not remember the valua-
tion. If any, put upon it. The matter