Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-06-26
THE STATE CAMPAIGN.
Candidates Are Having Quite Tame
Time In the Canvass.

1t would take a right smart stretch
of the truth to claim that the state
campaign now in progress is attract
ing any considerable interest in any
quarter for such is not the case; but
still there are candidates who are less
conspicuous and more conspicuous and
from the present outlook the indica-
tions are that Mr.. Blease for governor
and Messrs. Lyon and Ragsdale for
attorney general are to engage the at
tention of the public to greater ex-
tent than any of the other candidates.
The papers are agreed that there
were not more than 200 people to hear
the candidates at Beaufort last Friday
and of these fully half were ladies.
The meeting was held at night instead
of in the day time in order to avoid the
intense heat, and the newspaper cor
respondents being rushed on account
of the limited time they had in which
to write their reports and send them
in by telegraph were necessarily brief
but all the same there was nothing to
indicate anything out of the ordinary.
These paragraphs from the report of
the News and Courier seem to be about
all that are worth reproducing:
Mr.. Ragsdale was greeted with ap-
puglS l. '9ou9lu9S lSLy SlH '9Sngid
for graft (spoken ironically) caught
the attention of the crowd of about
200 people, many Of whom were ladies.
He criticised the headlines In the News
and Courier of Friday, holding that
they misrepresented his position, and
declared that they gave the impression
that he was not opposed to graft. He
then stated his purpose to enforce the
laws on the statute books, and was
cheered when he closed. He also had
something to say as to the headlines
in the State in regard to the statement
made in Charleston by Lyon with ref
erence to withdrawing in favor of
Youmans.
u. Fraser Lyon, who followed Mr..
Ragsdale, stated that Mr.. Ragsdale had
stated he was on the defensive, that
he (Ragsdale) had to explain that he
was against graft. Lyon said that he
was glad he did not have to explain
that he was against graft. In referring
TO Gen. Youmans Mr. Lyon said that
one of the compliments paid Gen. You
mans by Mr.. Ragsdale was that he was
incompetent. Mr.. Ragsdale arose and
stated that he had said Gen. Youmans
was incapacitated by age for making
the campaign. Mr.. Lyon said in
lcapacitated and incompetent were syn
onymous. He again stated his views
on the dispensary, and was met with
Il an ONatlOn. he was CneeTeu "
echo at the close of his address.
u. ]. McMahan, the next speaker,
stated his platform as in other cities
where the meetings have been held.
He believes in the purified dispensary.
His speech consisted largely of reply
to an editorial in the News and Cour-
Ter Friday and of an attack on that
paper. He denounced it's policy as self
deceptive and said that If its present
policy were pursued it would tend to
ally it with a baser element which 1t
has always fought heretofore.
&C. l.. Blease of Newberry, candidate
for governor, confined his remarks to
a statement of his platform. He fa-
vors biennial sessions, a child labor
law. a law limiting hours of labor In
cotton mills and with railway en-
ployees. favors appropriations to state
| institutions of learning, is opposed to
the higher education Of the negro, ia
vors a marriage certificate law or the
registering of all marriages. faVors the
enforcement of the vagrancy law and
favors the diSpensary law and the re-
peal of the Brice law.
col. w. w. Lumpkin, candidate for
the United States senate, said that he
had been asked how he would vote on
the dispenSary. He did not think this
should be brought into a senatorial
race but he would vote against the dis
pensary. He did not discuss many is
sues on account Of the absence of Sen
ator Tillman."
Last Saturdays meeting was held at
Hampton and was presided over by
eX- Governor McSweeney. There was
but a small crowd i'm attendance, and
the proceedings were almost devoid OF
interest except for the speeches OF
BleaSe, Ragsdale and Lyon.
Mr. Blease said he was getting
thoroughly tired of hearing the various
candidates for governor speak of dis
pensary corruption without furnishing
some evidence. and he invited all OF
them to give him some proof at the
next meeting to be held on Monday.
Referring to BOykin and Towill he said
they were his friends and he did not
believe that they had been guilty of
any wrong doing in connection with
their dispensary operations. He
thought that if there had been any
stealing the candidates charging thieV-
cry should name the thieves. He COM
plimented BrunSOn for standing square
ly on a prohibition platform and con-
contrasted him with the others, who
he said We're all trying to get in on