The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-08-10

under difficulties on that account.
The chairman here broke in on the
regular order to read letter from
Mr.. 7. NJ. Jones announcing his can
didacy for the Office of coroner.
The chairman also announced thar
he had been requested to read GER
tain questions that all candidates
would be expected to answer
The questions We're in effect:
Did you vote for Cole l.. Blease
for Governor in 1902"
VIII YOU vote for Cole l.. Blease
for Governor in 1922"
Mr. r. d. Epps was next introduced
as candidate for the legislature. He
said he had no promise TO make ex-
cept to do his duty as his Judgment.
experience and conscience should die
tate. He advocated improved rural
schools and modern educational
system that would fit the children to
do the work that they will be called
| upon to perform. He took up the
railroad appropriation and said that
he had from the first been con-
vinced that the appropriation was
unconstitutional and illegal, that he
had looked into the law with care
and he was satisfied that there was no
legal authority for the appropriation
in the way it was made. AS a busi-
ness proposition he favored the ap-
preparation and while he would not
have consented to the appropriation
of county funds would have given as
literally as his means would have
permitted TO bring the railroad To
Sumter. He believed that it was a
good investment and would repay the,
$4,000 appropriated within a few
years and be thenceforward an income
producer for the county. He was on
posed to bonding the county to build
good roads and would be opposed to
1T until better method of building
He was in favor of the cotton ware
house bill and was sure it could be
made constitutional. He thought the
railroad fare should be reduced to 2
cents flat. and would do all ne could
to have the reduction made if the
railroads could not prove beyond
question that to reduce the rate would
cause them to operate at loss. He
was opposed to unrestricted immigra-
ton and would oppose any scheme to
foster unrestricted immigration. Mr..
Epps was not interrupted to as great
an extent as the previous speakers
and did not answer the Blease ques-
tion until he concluded his remarks.
He said that he expected to vote for
Judge Jones, but went on to explain
that he was first approached and ask
ed to become a candidate by Mr..
Stubbs, known of all as an ardent
supporter Of Gov. Blease and that he
then told Mr.. Stubbs he was for Jones
and did not want him to labor under
misapprehension on that point Mr..
Stubs had replied that that was a
matter Of no Importance, that he and
his friends were looking for a man
who would be fair, and non-partisan
and would not be antagonistic to
everything Blease might do, whether
1t was good or CAD. Since then many
other Blease men had told him. they
were glad he had entered the race
and he told all of them that he ex-
pected to vote for Jones, but that if
elected to the legislature he would be
guided in all matters by his judg-
ment and conscience and would be
just as quick to support a measure
proposed by Blease as measure from
any other source. He would vote for
measure on it's merits, not on ac-
count of its source.
Mr.. j. X. McElveen. the candidate
for the legislature whose home is at
SIllloH was well received by MS
neiShbors. He said his platform was
for better schools everywhere-more
schools and better schools and dem
onstration farms in every county to
train the boys and make them better
farmers and help the older farmers
to become better farmers. He also
favored good roads every where:
more roads and straighter roads. He
in all departments of government
He announced that he was for Blease
- he first candidate to so declare.
Mr.. w. p. Smith began his re-
marks by announcing that he was a