The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-08-26
The Election Yesterday.

Yesterday the people of South Carollns
held their primary election for }. s. senator
State officers and County oh1cers. Dufin'
the previous night and in the forenoon
orthe day, rain fell, and the overhangin
clouds made the day as gloomy as any ina
we ever have in this secticn. Ana ID tn'
afternoon a c~easeless rain fell.
II seerned that few Of the soverigns coult
exercise tn cir right to vote or express incl
choice for officers and representatives.
While the friends OF each candidate Wer'
interested In the election OF their iaVorites
vet the chief general interest seemed TO cen
ter In the election OF US. Senator and GOV
ernor OF the State.
The campaign ofthe State from county u
county is not ouly Instructive, but 1t Is In
f~.,ential in giving direction to the votes o
the people. For instance, at the beginnlni
OF the campaign the vote for Rhett' In ou'
opinion, would have been small IN the up
c,uutry. Little was known Of him and pref
udice against Charleston would have hat
Its influence in keeping votes from Rhett
OF course 1t Is not known to us at least
how the candidate will stand, at the ooun
ON. but our testimony would be that to hi
com petitors are due q large share OF tn
votes which went 10 Rhett yesterday.
For US. Senator the campaign was run OF
q different plane, though characterized o!
something Of the same animus as that 10
Governor OF the State.
Vieorous war was made against the De
mocracy of Rhett, and such specification
ware made as In themselves dlsproved TIT
assertions OF bis enemies. Excepting only
in charges as TO the contents OF q letter te
The President the antidote went along with
the poison, am accomplished the opposite
effect from that which was inter ded. Lat
terly the charges as to the contents OF the
letter were disproved. The disproVal OF the
correctness OF the charges as to the contents
of r hett,s letter 10 the President, Appealed
10 the unbiased voter who may have fell
like rigbting the wrong which had been dom
TO q good man. The worth Of this man, and
the high conduct of his campaign were fac
tors In Rhett's favor. Speaking for this ed
itor, his vote was changed from one Of the
other candidates to Rhett.
In the Governors race. 1t seemed 10 us
that the friends Of Ansel, relied more on
their ability to deprive Blease Of any Vestage
OF reputation than upon anything eiSe
Character assasjns may always rely upon
having a fellowwing. 1t Is needless 10 poinl
a reason, but 1t will not be forgotten hal the
followers OF those who assail character are OF
different classes:
/. There are always a host Of envtous souls
who would dislike to see a man rise from
the ranks.
2. There are others who are unalterably
in favor OF the effort, no matter how disre'
putable, to destroy any mans character.
There love of filth is simply indescribaole
3. And then there are the innocent and
gullable class who open their mouths, swai-
low everything that may be thrown into
them l. and who, without question. believe
everything evil that maybe said In their
hearing.
Any man who assume The role Of charac-
ter assassin may, therefore, expect a follow
ing. And 1t is not unreasonable to believe
that there was strong oppositian to B'ease
On the other hand, there are a host OF men
in this State. who can testify TO the personal
high character and the purity Of the private
life Of Ansel. Tit idea, however, still exists IN
the minds of some. that a Governor needs q
secohd term as an endorsement or as a vindi-
cation OF his official career. This idea had
some influence with voters.
In some instances the contention that q
Governor whose term Is expiring, needs q
second term 10 vindicate his official career
may properly be urged. 1t Is right 10 do
90 when the official conduct OF the Governor
has been questioned, or when there is doubt
as to the wisdom Of his official acta.
To make such claim for an acceptable Gov
rrh0,o tarpo tn a~nirip0 20 nm Inn nlipd
reflection upon either his wisdom or his i'm.
partially, or the correctness Of his official
acts.
Governor Ansels conduct, both as a man
and as an officer needs no endorsement. His
manhood and his official acts speak for
themselves, and neither he nor his friends
need plead the baby act in nrging his need OF
q second term to vindicate his course. He
stands before the world an upright man and
an officer without reproach. He needs no
vindication. And We are sure that he never
has been reduced to the necessity for urging
such q "vindicstion" or such al "endorse
ment." On a dead level this editor would
vote for Ansel against the world. A man as
pure and u. right as is Ansel should have re-
quired his friends to conduct as clean and as
honorable campaign as did Rhett. Rhett
and his friends, as far as they were concerned,
conducted their campaign on the high plane
OF which their candidate was worthy. While
Ansel may not be to blame, because his
friends chose to conduct q campaign on q
lower level, namely: Not on the merits OF
their leader, but upon their own charges
against the character Of Ansels competitor.
War by %insinuatlon or innendo against
anybody does not meet our approval. The
conduct Of some preachers and some men In
Blease's home town first excited our sympa =
thy for him, as one who Ia prosecuted because
OF his humble birth.
The avidity with which several news
papers afterwards have made war on Blease,
as we may enormously think, because OF q
disposition to kick the man " HON they may
think is down, Is 80 repugn ant TO the nature
OF this editor that yesterday we cast our vote,
not against Ansel, but against the methods
OF his friends whose conduct should be as
high as the highest. Ansel Is too high q man
to seek or to accept reelection either by
doubtful or by discreditable methods. He
seeks no office to which he mnst attain by
trampllng under loot the good name of any
man, which good name is rather to be chosen
Ludu great ElCuco, duu WulCh ~ LULU " 10
coveted than the acquisition Of the highest
honors hat a great Stale could bestow.
This editor has a right to vote for the best
man who may offer for office. We have the
right to choose between men of equal charac-
ter and ability. We have the right TO a
choice between men who are our neighbors
or our friends.
If there Is a lack Of friendship or respect
or neighborly feeling still, on the ground that
there Is difference In rotten apples, we have q