The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1904-08-25
CALHOUN'S REPLY
TO MIR. MAYFLELD

Edge1eld, S. c., Aug 19.-The cam
paign meetings in this, the Second Con-
gressional district Of South Carolina,
have closed. The candidates, Messrs.
Leon ]. Williams, J. o. Patterson and
S. G. Mayfeld, are marshaling their
forces for the vote on Aug. 80, when
the people will say who will represent
us in the national house Of representa-
tives after March next.
The daily papers have given brief re-
ports Of the speeches Of the men named
at the various meetings but those re-
ports have not given those who have
read them some Of the most important
features Of the campaign; nor have they
fully presented to the people the men
as they are. It Is extremely important
for the voter to know for whom he Is
going to cast his vote; that Is, what
manner Of man he is.
There has been the usual parade OF
oratory on national issues, trusts. rail-
roads and the like, which sound well,
but that does not portray the man. We
must have to represent US in our ma
tional legislature, men upon whom we
can rely and men whom we know to be
steadtast ard who are not always dodg-
a. staasd tss .slse sra Cor.
uonal matters have been handled SUI
aciently. It is now proposed to give
some of the real happenings and incl
dents Of the campaign meeting, Wnicn
will aid the people in forming a correct
idea Of certain matters and the men
who have addressed them. will quote
from the records Of the speeches, and
use what I heard myself. 1t would be
impossible to give in this brief account
all Of importance that I have IN my
minds eye, and I will select those which
mark the men most definitely.
For instance, take the handling OF
the political record Of Mr.. Mayfeld by
Mr. Williams. During the campaign
there was a very warm contest between
those men, Mr.. Williams having had
Mr.. Mayheld on the defensive all the
time.
There were no very especial points
of interest as regards Mr.. Patterson e2-
cept that Mr. Mayfeld, in trying to
bolster up his own case, claimed that
he (Patterson) had voted as he did on
the LEGISLATION named below, and which,
so far as T know Mr.. Patterson never
denied; and I will therefore not have
anything to say about him.
During the campaign there was at
times very heated controversies between
Messrs. Williams and Mayfeld, the
principal issues between them being the
racord Of Mr.. Mayfield as public SER
want, especially as relating to the acts
nassed by the South Carolina general
assembly known as the Merger ACT
the ''Test Case Act" introduced by Mr.
Mayfeld, and the "Jim Crow Car Act"
topether with a few side lines.
In order to make myself intelligible l
will have to relate something OF the
history Of the legislation named. The
new constitution Of the state, adopted
in 1895, prohibited any railroad COM
pany from purchasing. leasing or oper-
atins a competing line. In 1897 to carry
out that provision. the legislature passed
what is known as the Penalty Act 1or
any violation Of the constitution. Not
needing the constitution and the penalty
law: the Southern Railway company
purchased, consolidated or leased several
lines Of railway in the state that were
considered competing lines, among them
q line running from Charleston, 8. Co.
to Augusta, Ga. AS soon as that was
done, large number Of cases were hled
against the Southern to recover the
statutory penalties amounting to mil
lion or more dollars The railroads, 1t
seems, became uneasy, and sought
way out of the trouble. In 1902 the leg
,slature passed what - known al the
Merger Act" allowing the consolidation
of the railroads. and validating the
purchases, consultations and leases that
had been made. That did not stop the
filing Of suits for the violation OF the
constitution.
In 1904 Mr.. Mayfield introduced In the
senate, OF which he was member, the
"Test Case Act which was to settle