The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1906-06-27
PROGRESS OF THE
STATE CAMPAIGN.
Seven Meetings Have Been
Held So Far.
LYON AND RAGSDALE.
Feature of the Campaign up TO This
Time Is the Race for the At
tOrney Generalship.
tOrney Generalship.

GEORGE last tuesday and since then
meetings have been held at Charleston,
Walterboro, Beaufort, Hampton, Barn
well and Bamberg. Today's meeting
will be at Aiken.
So far the meetings have been slimly
attended which is invariably the case in
the lower tier of counties.
So far interest in the meetings has
centered principally in the contest for
the attorney generalship as waged be-
j. Frazer Lyon and j. w. Ragsdale.
Attorney General Leroy F. Youmans
is a candidate for election to the office
to which he was appointed by the gov
ernor upon the death of Gen. Gunter a
few months ago, but he has been un-
able to attend any of the meetings on
account of the pressing duties of his
office.
1t is too early in the campaign to tell
who, if any, of the candidates for gov-
ernor has the lead. Mr.. A. C. Jones of
Newberry, candidate for governor, has
been prevented from attending the
campaign meetings since the first, on
account of illness in his family.
Col. John H. Wharton appears to be
holding his own with his four oppo-
nents for reelection on the State Rail-
road Commission.
1t will be several weeks before the
campaigners strike the up-country,
where the meetings will be better at
tended, perhaps.
The following is taken from The
States report Of the campaign meet
ing in Charleston on Wednesday!
Charleston, June goth. About 400
people attended the meeting in Hiber-
nian hall today and listened patiently
to the speeches of the candidates. :
There was very little enthusiasm and
once only was there anything like a
sensation. Mr.. Ragsdale had made his
speech, in which he said that the Office
of attorney general belonged to Cen
eral Youmans, if the record was
taken. When Mr.. Lyons turn came,
he promptly offered to retire if Mr..
NdSSudlC WOulIl uO lilS SAME lSGNS
the office to Gen. Youmans.
There was a whole lot of enthusiasm
right in the midst of both of the
speeches and many of those present
were in doubt as to exactly what was
said. Both Mr.. Ragsdale and Mr.. Lyon
were asked for statements afterwards
and they were furnished.
These statements practically settled
the matter and it is safe to say that
there will be no designations and that
hereafter General Youmans will not be
discussed as the only rightful candidate.
The statements made by Mr.. Lyon
and by Mr.. Ragsdale created about the
only excitement in the meeting and the
Charleston people listened patiently to
the platforms as already published.
True, Vincent Chicco distributed some
faces of himself and Senator Tilman
printed thereon and asked some of the
candidates some questions, but he was
not made much of and was given little
encouragement.
CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR.
Cole L. Blease was the first one to
speak. He came out for the dispen-
sary. There were not IL men lin the
audience who would convict any one on
the newspaper reports sent out. He
asked for fair play and would vote for
the same in Greenville as he would in
Charleston.
Chicco wanted to know if Mr.. Blease
favored any changes in the dispensary
law. Mr.. Blease said he would bow to
the "king" and state that he believed
the dispensary system to be the best
and he favored the repeal of the Brice
law.
Mr.. Joel E. Brunson came next. He
was prohibitionist He would never
compromise on anything else and would
make no compacts. He condemned the
dispensary system and the high license
proposition. Mr.. Brunson's 8 speech was
well received.
Mr.. Richard /. Manning touched on
the issue of higher education and
equalization Of taxation. He thought
too much prominence was given the
dispensary. He was no straddler, but
he did not stand for the dispensary as
it had been run. Whether the charges
of graft were true or not, the institu-
tion must be purged of suspicion. His
bill known as the RaysorManning bill
would have done away with the pro-
blems.
Mr.. w. A. Edwards followed Mr..
Brunson. He was opposed to the dis
pensary, in favor of compulsory educa-
tion and thought that the present en-
forcement of the law was SO impotent
that the law and order leagues natur-
ally follow
Mr.. j. j. McMahan thought the pro.
blems now considered the greatest since
the war. He had served the state as
superintendent of education and his
policy had been outlined then. He be-
believed in compulsory education anc
was against child labor. Mr.. McMa.
hans argument was listened to with
very close attention. He touched very
lightly on the dispensary. He thought
the legislature was responsible for the
election of men that would bring the
dispensary into dsrepute. The mem
hers seemed in these elections to for