Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-08-17
THE COUNTY CAMPAIGN.

YOIerS OF OTh COuHty W SCiCSt thSh
nominees for the various county offices
was opened at Tirzah last Wednesday,
and is now in full swing, the candi-
dates having proceeded from Tirzah
to Forest Hill, thence to Fort Mill and
being due tomorrow at Rock Hill.
The Tirzah meeting was made the
occasion of the annual picnic at that
place, and the crowd In attendance was
considerably larger than would have
been the case otherwise. 1t was made
up Of large numbers of people from the
country Immediately surrounding and
quite a good representation from all
parts of the county. In all, including
voters, ladies and children, politicians
h and strikers, there were present In the
lneighborhood Of seven or eight hum
dred people.
It was expected that there would be
q full and free discussion OF the va
rious issues that have been brought
Il into prominence, and especially OF the
main issue, the whisky question. But
as to this it turned out otherwise. Mr..
w. H. Stewart, the engineer OF the dis
pensary forces arranged matters so as
to secure for himself the direction or
the programme, and acting as chair
man In place Of the precinct executive
committeeman, he fixed the time limit
of the speakers at ten minutes. He
gave as a reason for this arrangement
the large number of candidates VINO
were to speak, but when, notwith-
standing a late start, all the candidates
who desired had spoken, and there
was still time to spare, 1t dawned upon
| the opposition that Mr.. Stewart might
have had a double motive. Four out
of the five anti -dispensary candidates
are good speakers and only one of the
| four dispensary candidates Is able to
make fairly passable speech. Mr..
Stewards little scheme, therefore, was
probably to remove as far as possible
contrast that would have been inevi-
table, and to the advantage Of the
other side as against his own. 80
In opening the proceedings, Mr..
Stewart made quite a little speech.
He explained how he had been re-
luuested by, Mr. Allison, the precinct
chairman, to preside in his stead, and
then he proceeded to wax eloquent
| on the Importance of Tirzah and Its
historic associations. 1t was not ex-
actly at that spot; but near there that
there came some sixteen years ago an
unknown speaker That man, then
Capt. Tillman, now Senator Tillman.
/ has become national character, and
is now the greatest champion OF the
rights Of the common people that the
world has ever known. All this was
said in very impressive manner and
| II looked as IL the people really ought
to have given their applause; but they
| did not. They Just took what Mr..
Stewart said; in a quiet manner and
made no demonstration whatever.
After concluding his remarks, Mr..
Stewart called attention to some cat
L haf hod
mitted as to bucket shops, good roads
and whisky, and then introduced as
1 the first speaker
Captain J. w. Ardrey.
Capt. ]. w. Audrey was in good
trim and sailed right In on the bus
iness ut hand. He was, Of course,
glad to meet such a large and intelli-
gent audience Of York county people,
and he was especially glad to see the
occasion honored with the presence
of so many ladies. He was reminded
at the beginning Of the campaign at
Ogden two years ago that the candi-
dates were confronted with a little
paper of questions and that he had
answered them. The questions to-
day include some that were asked at
Ogden, and he would answer those
questions now just as he had an
swered them then. 1t is the right
and privilege of the voter to know
questions, and 1t is pleasure to him
to define his position. He believes
| In local self-government. We man.
age the general affairs Of our county,
repair our roads, build our bridges,
conduct our schools, look after our
paupers, and I see no reason why we
should not have a right to say what
we shall do with this whisky ques-
| ton. 1t does not seem right to me
that York should dictate how George
town should manage the whisky
question nor that Georgetown should
dictate to York. I don't believe 1t Is
right. I am in favor of local option.
Personally I am opposed to whisky
and I have spent my life trying to
keep 1t out of my town. Whisky, has
invaded my own family and taken
from 1t loved member. Whisky
was once sold at every cross-road,
and was used by almost everybody.
But we have been making progress,
our people are growing more temper
ate and getting further away from
its baneful effects. Revolutions do
not go backward but forward and
let us have no backward step in this
matter. The whisky question Is adj
justing itself, but 1t will not be fully
and properly adjusted until whisky
is banished from the earth and that
is what we must help to do.
Mr.. C. T. Crook-Do you think To-
cal option will stop it?
Mr.. Ardrey-It will reduce 1t.
Mr.. Crook-We have local option
now.
Mr.. Ardrey-Then let us not give
II ND for conditions less satisfactory.
I hope the time will never come when
liquor can again be legally sold in
York county.
proceeding Mr. Ardrey said that
next to the whisky evil the bucket
shop evil Is one Of the most damag-
ing to our people. He believed that
II It were not for the bucket shops
cotton would be selling for from one
to two cents a pound more than 1t
is. It has done more to break up
one thing, and 1t has taken more
money out of the country than has
gone out on account of all our legfti-
mate requirements.
He believed that the road tax was
one of the heaviest taxes we pay and
he was in favor Of doing what we can
to improve the roads. He next start
ed into a discussion of the advisable
ity of doing away with the state
in competition with free labor; but be-
fore he had gotten we'll along with
the subject, Chairman Stewart called
his attention to the fact that his time
had expired and he had to thank the
audience for its attention and sit
down.
Mr.. J. e. Beamguard
Was glad again TO meet the people
of this community because they had
always given him an overwhelming
majority, for which he returned
thanks. He congratulated himself
on the fact that he had a record OF
which he had a right TO be proud.
He did not claim to be statesman;
statesmen are born not made. But
he had labored long, hard and dill
gently and become a useful member
of the house, able to do great deal
more for the people he represented
than when younger and less expert
enced. Two years ago he had told
the people that II they would elect
him and send him to Columbia he
would vote for a bill that would give
them a voice in the control Of the
LIQUOR question, and this he had done.
I am opposed to the state dispensary,
he said. because 1t Is reeking In cor
ruption and because 1t has brought