The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1904-04-08
CONGRESSIONAL RACE
IN SECOND DISTRICT
THE CAMPAIGN OPENED At
SALUDA THIS WEEK.
A Brief Survey of the Positions of the
Candidates and Their Probable
Strength.

Strength.
The congressional campaign in the
I'd district. to nominate a successor to
the late Congressman George W.
Croft. opened at Saluda on Tuesday
There are four candidates in the race
seeking the office for the eleven months
OF Congressman Croft's uneNpired
term. These four candidate were at
Saluda on Tuesday and addressed the
people OF the county. They are: Sen
ator S. G. Mayheld. OF Banberg: Mr..
Theordore G. Croft. of Aiken. son
Of the late Congressman Croft: Re-
preventative J. o. Patterson, OF
Barnweil, and Mr.. Leon J. Williams,
ex-chairman OF the state board OF con-
troll These gentlemen made ad-
dresses in the order named. No fac
rional politics was brought into the
discussion. All Of the candidates
sought to show their fitness for the
position, promising to do the best
: the people they could, to fight the
trusts. to get national aid for the
building OF roads. more rural routes
and better salaries for the mail CAL
riers. Mr.. S. G. Mayheld wanted a
heavier United States navy in order
to secure more and better treaty
rights for trade. while the other can
didates opposed this doctrine OF an
increased navy.
There was one extraneous and per-
sonal matter brought into the discus
soin, which is thus reported in the
News and Courier: There was only
one extraneous issue brought in, and
that was relative to the $1,000 which
vii be paid to the widow of the late
Congressman Croft. This is not on
account of salary. but seems 70 be
a customary honorariun. Mr.. Croft
said that Mr.. J. H. Hair. of Newber-
~. had been travelling over the dis
trict reporting that Mr.. Croft or the
family was to get this 5000. He
showed that the salary of the unex-
pired term would go to whoever won
in the election, and urged that he was
not running for the money, but for
the honor of the office and felt entire
ly competent to fill the position"
The crowd at Saluda seemed to be
divided between Williams and Croft
about equally divided, but then it is a
most difficult matter to judge crowd
at a campaign meeting. A representa-
tive of The Herald and News was in
the ed district this week and. the opin-
ion seemed to prevail that the race
would in all probability be between
Mr.. Williams and Mr. Croft, with Mr..
Williams probably in the lead. That
was in a Williams stronghold, but it
was the opinion of men who had
studied the situation. 1t is a mighty
hard matter to make prediction in
this kind OF race, however Mr.. Croft
is vet unknown to the people of the
state. but his strength seems to lie in
the claim that inasmuch as his lament
ed father was serving only his first
term in congress. and had served very
little more than half of that, that his
son ought be chosen for the remain
der of the term-not solely as q
matter of sentiment but because
young Mr.. Croft believes he is cap
able ana fitted to serve during the re-
naming eleven months Of his ia
theirs term. He was in his fathers
law Office and is member
OF the Aiken bar The other candi-
dates are running with a view to
gaining the full term at the next cleo
ton. So it is especially difficult to
size up the situation in this contest.
The four candidates are from the four
different counties and liked and es
teemed in their respective counties.
But at tfe present Williams, of Edge
field. seems to be we'll in the lead,
rc. .... I - .o.1,