The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-06-19
the CAMPAIGN OPENS.
COURT HOUSE COULD NOT HOLD
BIG CROWD.
Candidates for Governor Make set
Speeches Outlining Their Platforms
Tilt Between Lyon and Barney
Evans Promises hot Times at
Bishop,iIlc "Wednesday.

mally opened i'm the Court House at
dates present. As preliminary to
the meeting the candidates met i'm the
jury room at 1880 and organized for
the campaign and agreed upon pro-
gramme for the meeting today and
arranged for a division of time be-
Tween the several candidates. The
candidates for Governor TO have 45
minutes each. for Attorney General 10
minutes each. Treasurer 10 minutes
each. Railroad Commissioner 15 min
utes each. other uLopposed candidates
minutes. Today the unopposed can
|. didates made no speeches. IL being
Fngreed that they make this conces-
sion on account of the late hour at
which the meeting opened. The unop-
posed candidates were merely an
nounced by the chairman.
When the hour for the meeting to
open arrived the Court room was
packed To- the doors and the crowd
was still assembling. 1t was evident
that not half Of those who were anx-
ious TO hear the candidates could gain
admission to the room. so II was de-
cided To adjourn to the front portico
before calling the meeting to order.
crowd repaired to the lawn in front of
the Court House and grouped them
selves under the shade of the trees
and at other points of vantage filing
the portico to an uncomfortable de-
gree, packing the steps. filling the
\ windows Of the Offices and court room
within heering. At conservative
estimate the crowd numbered one
thousand. although some OF the can
n didates thought that estimate too low
\ BY at least two hundred.
kXhe crowd was attentive and or
49, me- . whole hue there were ten
or iftcen boys who were enthusiastic
Blease partisans and were either un-
able TO restrain their enthusiasm
when other candidates were speaking.
or came To the meeting for the pur-
pose OF Mterupting the opponents of
their idol. They interrupted MIR. Dun
can frequently, and while Judge
Jones was speaking they kept up a
running comment. and punctuated his
speech with cheers for Blease. Judge
Jones stood the annoyance well and
got back at the noise-makers with
telling effect by relating several jokes
the application of which was very evil
dent.
Both Judge Jones and Gov. Bease
were heartily applauded. but there
was no wild enthusiasm or long sus-
tained cheers that were once upon a
time the striking features OF political
meetings In this state. In COM
parison with some OF the meetings
that have been held I'm Sumter. the
one today was "a tame affair. The
chief characteristic OF the meeting
was the evident earnestness OF the
great majority OF the crowd, the de-
sire TO hear what the candidates for
Governor had to- say. and To weigh
and consider the claims they ad-
vanced I'm their own behalf for the
suffrage of the people. The crowd was
composed Of citizens OF Sumter. Lee.
Clarendon. and "A sprinkling OF Cali
houn and Orangeburg people. Fully
half the audience were not residents
OF the city. for. despite the fact that
the stores were closed from Ii to-
o'clock. there was not a marked pre-
dominance Cf town people i'm the
crowd. III noise counted for anything
II could be Justly clamied that IL was
a Blease crowd; but IL was notice
able fact that comparatively few took
part In the cheering that was INDUCED
I'm. II was a listening crowd. not
yelling mob. and II Is the silent vote
that counts In the primary.
As soon as the crowd had settled
down after the change of base.
County Chairman J. H. Clifton called
the meeting to order, announced that
the crowd should preserve good or
der and give each and every speaker
a respectful hearing.
He introduced as the first speaker,
His Exccllency. Gov Cole H. Blease.
Before beginning his set speech Gov.
Elease stated that he desired To re-
mind his hearers that II was rumored
up and down the state two years ago
that n he was elected Governor tho
state would be ruined. that the pub