The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-11-23
HOW HE WON.
". I. Douglas, Democratic Governor
Elect Of Massachusetts,.
TELLS Why BE WAS ELECTED.

-
He Says the Nation Could Have Been
Won by the Democrats on the
Issues that Elected Him
Governor.
''I did what I set out to do. /
made Massachusetts, a doubtful State.
Can 7 keep it 50? For that we must
wait and see. I believe We will. Ihe
same issue pressed in every other State
In the union, with sincerity, would
have been just as as effective as it was
In Massachusetts,.
William L. Douglas, the most,
talked-about Democrat in the country
today, thus sums up his victory.
From plain business man, cevotlnng
sll his time to his shoe business, aDo
taking little or no part In publ c af.
fairs, he has become the idol OF Mas
sachusettS, and Democratic leaders
throughout the nation are turning
questioning and speculative eyes upon
him. Forty thousand persons joined
in a great celebration Of his victory
at his home town Of Brockton, Wed
nes6ay night, and toe man who has
never had strike and vino once De-
lonaed to Union himself, was cheer
ed from one end of the town to the
other.
William L. Douglas, the next gov
ernor of Massachusetts,, and who was
elected by the biggest vote ever given
a Democrat in the State, is 50 years
old. BE is a medium framed man,
neither large nor small, who dresses
plainly, without the slightest attempt
at show. He wears usually a sack
coat Of blue material. more serv!cea-
bic than snowy, a derby hat, a turn
down collar and plain black tie.
Woodcuts Of Mr. Douglas, printed
for years in newspapers al over the
United States, have made his features
as familiar as those OF any man in the
country. he is few years older
than those pictures would Indicate.
He s very bald, with head that
rises high in the crown and which is
fringed about the temples and at the
back by close-cropped iron gray hair.
His moustache is iron gray and OIL;
partially hides very full firm lips,
His eyes are a modest gray. but when
he is aroused they fash earneStnsSs.
A GREAT POLITICIAN.
Those who have watched Mr.. Doug
las in his recent campaign say be is a
great politician. a World reporter
who observed him at his headquarters
last Wednesday was struck with the
easy way in which this plain man OF
business adapted hiusslf to politics.
Almost every two minutes some OF hl>
workers, wearing the very evident
stamp of the politician, came IN to
congratulate him. Instantly the gov
ernor.e?eet was up to meet them with
. hearty handshake and Why, he !
10, Jim! Well, it was ali right,
wasn't it? You did f1e. You boys
were great. am awfully glad to Sc
No, you are to be congratulated
yourself"
All day Wednesday the political
workers filed his improVieed campaign
Headquarters In the Old South build
ing on Washington street, and Mr..
Douglas, vino has devoted all his life
to the shoe business, mingled wlth
them bis hearty laugh and with as
great freedom as though politics hao
been his calling all his life.
Down in Brockton, l9 miles from
Boston, where the Douglas shoe fac
tories are, Mr.. Douglas is unQuestlon-
ably the idol OF the people. He has {:
great army Of empl,yes in his sevsra!
factories there.\ He is known from
one end Of the State to the other as
the ideal employer. What the people
cf the town Ike about him is that ne
is a pain, sincere, transformations
man who goes about the streets ming
ling with the people, without ever
giving in bis manner the slightest
suggestion OF the great success be has
won. The newsboys and bootblacks
all know him. The conductors on
the accommodation trains that rub
from Boston to Brockton all know
him, and be always gives them a
hearty handshake. ALI the caomen
and truck drivers are his personal
friends, aad though Brockton is a
Republican town far and away, he
carried it Tuesday by good vote.
There is no question that Mr..
Douglas election IS the most remark
able thing that ever happened in Mas
sachusetts politics. Many eSplana-
tions are offered for 1t. Probably the
most popular explanation is that the
labor vote did it. Though this exp!a-
nation covers great part OF the phe.
nomenon it does not explain it al.
Throughout the State the labor ua.
ions were pretty generally united in
favor Of Mr.. Douglas. They liked
him, and they did not like Gov.
Bates, whom they blamed for Vetoing
an eight-hour law and an overtime
bill. The labor unions in many cases
came out openly and Endorsed Mr..
Douglas. The socialist vote also
went for him.
NOT THE LABOR VOTE ALONE.
Mr. Douglas does not agree that
the labor vote is wholly responsible
for his election, and he points out
that while his vote in the textile
cities, such as Fall River, was very
large. it was equally large in the
farming districts in purely residential
sections, and throughout Boston,