The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1912-07-03

wanting when it came time to shout 1or
one favored candidate OF another. Ladies
in the Dillon audience presented Judge
Jones and Attorney General Lyon with
flowers. !"
For JOINS OR BLEAsE?
There is q question that is always ask
ed after one, OF the campaign meetings and
that Ia. WAS it C Blease or a Jones crowd?"
This question can be partly answered by n
careful diagnosis OF the applause and greet
ing accorded the candidates, throughther
are sometimes elements to be considered
which are not portrayed in the demonstra-
lions. For instance the crowd may be
gathered largely from one section OF the
country, either a Jones or q Blease section
and this may cause the applause to be one
sided. At the meeting there were eviGenc-
es OF drunkenness and this likely added
to the noise Of applause.
How THEY STAND.
II demonstration and applause were an
index OF the political sentiment in a county,
the counties thus far visisted by the can
didates could be lined up as follows:
Sumter is for Jones.
Lee county will go for Blease.
Marlboro county will vote for Judge
Jones.
Florence will 20 for Governor Blease.
Dillon Is a'Jones county.
Darlington and Chesterfield, judged by
the campaign meeting applause, are al
most equally divided, with probably a
majority Of the voters in the former
fayoring Judge Jones election and Gov
ernor Blease holding Chesterfield county
by a slight majority.
However, such predictions are based
solely on the demonstration OF the crowds
at the campaign meetings and their cor
rectness would likely seem REPUTABLE when
viewed in the light Of convictions" main
tanned BY certain obdurate politicians in
several counties.
For instance, a citizen Of Florence county
states that the crowd In the theatre there
was almost the entire Blease strength of
the county and the demonstration was
therefore no indication Of the county's
political standing. Another citizen strong
~ maintained that the sentiment mani
tested Their was u clear expression of the
sentiment Of the voting population Of
the county.
RIpIsR THE CAMPAJGNER
A fact that must be considered in review
ing the campaign Is the masterfulness OF
Governor Blease as a %campaigner and as a
man who can play upon the fancies Of u
throng. In many Of the meetings Cover
nor Blease has gotten the better hold on
the voters present and by his art of hand
ling a tense political situation has won for
himself theplaudits Of HUNDREDS OF hearers.
However, Judge Jones has at several re-
cent meetings COTTON a better "hold" Oh
his hearers and the expression Is often,
heard, Judge Jones Is improving as a
stump speaker as tho campaign goes on.
Some one has said that for an opponeet
or a nearer to answer a charge OF Ill i'm
putation made by Governor Blease is like
a baseball player trying to answer the
rootings OF a stand Of fans. No matter
how reasonable the answer Of a player to
the criticism Of the bleachers, his reply
will be hooted and a criticism more bitter
be hurled at him. Governor Blease has
the art OF always being ready with an
answer, no matter how just the demand
made on him, and that answer usually is
of such nature as to gain for him the plau-
dts of his followers 10 the confusion OF his
opponents.
On SEPERATE COACH LAW
Judge Jones at Dillon advanced a new
answer to the charge Of Governor Blease
that he had voted for social equality on the
separate coach law, this reply taking his
hearers by storm. This Wal that there
were others prominent in the state's affairs
that had voted with him on the measure,
Of whom are Blease supporters now,
and he listed several who had voted as did
he on the law. Among those named by
Judge Jones were D. Mcintyre, L. NJ. Rog-
ers, j.. L. McLaurin, H. NJ. Stackhouse,
James Norton, B. B. McQuite, S. B. Chand-
Ter, j. o. Byrd, W. E. Finklea and B. l..
Abney. and Judge Jones made much OF the
fact that the last named is q cousin Of the
governor. This was the first time Judge
Jones used this argument and it was we'll
received by his supporters.
INTEREST INCREASING.
Interest in the "circus" is increasing as
its SEASON. rolls away and the crowds are
larger at each town visited than at former
stops. The largest crowd that has yet
heard the candidates was that at Florence