The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-06-27

The great corporations are taxing Us
heavily and it is high time 20 correct
the evils He expected the railroads
70 attack MIN. The whole pack, from
the bulldog to ratter will be upon
him.
The next speaker was A Crane
Jones. of Newberry, candidate 1of
governor. He stood as a representa-
rive Of the home Democracy, and on-
posed graft. The principal thing thai
brought him into the campaign was
the LIQUOR question. He believed the
people had right to decide it t3r
dispensary, high license or prohihi-
lion. AS for him., he was wiling 10
kill it drop by drop. AS to NewbeT-
ry. less liouor was drunk there than
ever before. The state had no rlght
to engage in business or to put q
county in it. He endorsed every
single act Of Lyon and Chrlsten-
sen as members Of the Investigating
committee. He himself had been
threatened, but would stand firm.
Richard I. Manning, of Sumter, was
the next gubernatirial candidate to
speak. He asked to be judged by his
record as a private citizen and by his
fourteen years in the general assem-
bly,. He acknowledged he had made
mistakes, but he tried to do right.
The state could not spend money in
a better way than in educating its
citizens. The growth Of education
in this state is a matter Of thanks to
God. Manning's remarks on this line
were very strong and impressive. He
appealed to the people to preserve
the purity of elections. He urged
that the entire state and county gov
eminent be put on a strict business
basis. 1t was painful that the liquor
question should be brought so prom
ipently into the campaign, but he did
not shirk the issue He was no cham
pion of whiskey, but was deeply in
terested in the morals Of the people.
He is not an advocate Of the dispea-
sary as run in the past. The popular
conscience IN South Carolina will not
tolerate the suspicion Of graft or cor
ruption. The air is full Of, rumors
and where there is so much smoke
there must be some fire. The belief
is that the dispensary has not
been run as it should have
Teen. That institution must be pu:-
ged of the oc. UNI or it must SO. Men
will have wil:sEey and will not obsy
a prohibition law, because it is law.
He had studied the question thor
oughly and did not believe it impossi-
bic to purge this Institution Of the
complaints made against it. He did
not believe in local option. If elected
governor, he would enforce the law,
whether it was dispensary, local op-
ton or prohibition.
John J. McMahan, Of Richland, can
didate for governor, spoke next. He
declared no patriot could afford to
sleep while ills were creeping upon
the State. Corruption is not altogeth-
er absent from South Carolina, and
men Of proven integrity were needed
in high places. The dispensary cor
ruption is not the only corruption. He
stood for every educational reform
that he had agitated when superin-
tendent Of education. He advocated
a State system of drainage of low
lands. He wanted an experimental
station in every county. He had no
use for liquor, but as so many others
wanted it, there was no chance for
prohibition. He believed in the State
5ispensary purified, with anJ rascals
in it put behind bars.
The next speaker, Col. John T.
Sloan, CT Ricnland, candidate for gov
ernor, regretted that whiskey was the
chief issue as to his mind other issues
were far higher. He spoke Of his
record in rs, his efforts in behalf Of
Clemson, Winthrop and the Citadel,
showing his deepest interest in educa-
tional matters. He wanted to see a
school house on every hill. He was
proud Of his record as lieutenant gov
ernor, and it was the ambition Of his
life to be governor. Plainly and with
out equivocation, the dispensary is
the best solution Of the wi1iskey ques-
ton He did not know whether the
reports Of stealing were true, but if
elected governor the institution would
be purged Of everything dishonest.
The dispensary could be thanked for
one thing and that is that the thous-
on6c of So,,tJ, CyaroEnionc who u.are