The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-07-11
TILLMAN'S CAMPAIGN.
FOUR THOUSAND HEAR HIM AT
SANDY FLAT.
There Was no Wild Enthusiasm But
Received an Attentive Hearing.
His Speech Was Devored Almost
Exclusively to the Dispensary Issue.

did not fall short of expectations. The,
crowd was large, the speakers of the
day were in high feather, the order
was perfect and the weather was
ideal The conditions could not have
been better.
AS has been recognized all along,
Senator Tillman was the central figure
of the whole meeting. He is always a
drawing card and he was so on this
occasion. He spoke with his old time
zeal and expression and conveyed his
thoughts in the same kind Of language
that he employed wnen he first en-
tered politics in South Carolina. He is
the same Tillman today that he was 15
years ago, but he can't arouse au-
diences to the high pitch Of enthus-
iasm and white heat that he once
could. The crowd today listened to
him attentively, and there was an oc-
casional 'Hurrah for Tillman" and
other outbursts of mild appause, but
the violent enthusiasm over Tillman
of days gone by was conspicuously alb
sent. He perhaps had more friends
in the audience and fewer enemies
than he had in crowds Of equal size
decade ago, but the people didn't get
as excited over his speech as they did
in the early part Of the COS. 1t must
be a fac. that the people are not as
wild over politics now as they used to
be. The same interest is not mani
tested.
N addition 20 the speech by Senator
Tillman, three candidates for Con
gress from this, the fourth, Congress
sional district spoke. Congressman j.
t. johnson the incumbent, who stands
for re election, spoke first, followed by
the Hon. G.. H. Ms.hon, mayor Of
Greenville, and Mr.. w. C. Irby, Of
Laurens. the other congressional can
didate, spoke last.
It was a political rally, pure and
simple. People went there to hear
the candidates and the candidates
went there to meet and talk with the
people A number. of candidates who
are in the race for State Offices mixed
.4, ~. sS,,4;-,,So c7,.r;,,o +1,o 1ox, onJ
the aspirants for county Offices were,
Of course, largely in evidence. Among
those seen on the ground were Messrs.
Ansel. Sloan and Manning, in the
race for governor; Col. Wharton, for
railroad commissioner, and others.
It is estimated that fully 1000 per-
sons attended the meeting. The best Of
feeling prevailed. People were pres
ent from all over this and adjoining
counties. Men were there who had
driven from thirty to forty miles. A
large number went out from Green
vile and helped to swell the attend
ance, which was unusally representa-
tive.
Sandy Flat is ten mics from Green
vile in the upper part Of the county.
The grove in which the speaking took
pace is an ideal site for such an af-
fair.
It was very evident from Senator
Tillman's speech that he had careful
ly prepared himself for the occasion.
He said:
There is but one important issue in
volved in this campaign, so far as
State affairs go, and as for my own
candidacy it rests or the record which
have made since I entered public
life sixten years ago and the intimate
knowledge which the people Of the
State have Of my character, personal
ity and qualifications. am willing to
ioave it there without discussion Or
presentation The Sight is State dis
pensenry vs. county dispensary, for no
ore expects the prohibition candi-
dates, however worthy and wcll quail
fed they may be, to receive very
much support. With all their efforts
(and they have been many and long
continued) newspapers which have
always fought the dispensary have not
been able to drum up a candidate tor
governor who advocates local option
straight as against dispensary anc
prohibition, and only in Charleston
does that idea have any men offering
for office under it. The local option
offered the people is between prohi-
bition and county dispensary, and the
whole fight is to destroy the State dis
pensary first with no other purpose
than to then obtain the privilege Of
reopening the old barrooms under the
new guise of liquor stores, selling un-
der constitutional Limitations The