The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-11-05
BROWNING FOR GOVERNOR.
UNION MAN ANNOUNCES HIS
CANDIDACY.
His Platform Would Require Regis
tratiOn for Voting i'm Primary-Tax
and School Reforms.

Browning of Sedalia, in Union
county, announced yesterday that he
South Carolina in the Democratic pri
mary next summer.
Mr.. Browning has been in public
life in South Carolina for a number of
years, having served three terms in
the house of representatives. He was
chairman of the ways and means
committee during the session of 1911
~. He was not a candidate for re-
election TO the house in 1913. Mr.
Browning has been a farmer all his
life and is at present president Of the
was president Of the Union County
was president of the Union County
Fair association for two years, declin-
ing reelection.
Mr.. Browning issued yesterday the
following outline Of his platforms:
Il will be q candidate for govern
in 1914 in the Democratic primary.
Summarized briefly, my platform is as
follows:
First. Every white Democrat
should be allowed to vote, provided he
will qualify himself to maintain the
action Of the Democratic primary in
the general election. No man should
be allowed to participate in the NAM
ing of a State and county ticket as a
! Democrat and then support some
president and vice president, as was
done in 1912 by certain alleged MEM
bers of the Progressive party.
Second. 1 believe in the thorough
reform of our financial system. If
properly regulated, the personal prop
erty tax can and should be eliminated.
Under our present system, citizen
can not hide his household and
kitchen furniture, his live stock if "a
farmer, his stock in goods if a mer-
chant, but he can and very frequenty
does hide his personal property if it
is principally invested in mortgages,
stocks, bonds and the like. This tax
should be a tax on income and thus
you will reach those most able to pay
: and those who receive the greatest
! protection from government.
! Third. 1 shall advocate a thor
: ough reform of our school system. The
constitutional school tax should be
made State fund instead of a county
fund. Thus the richer counties would
aid the poorer counties, and all the
children of our State would receive
equal benefit. Each school district
should, as at present, be allowed to
supplement this State fund by local
levies for their individual benefit. The
State, however, should guarantee that
each school should run a certain pc
riod and if the present constitutional
school tax does not raise sufficient rev.
enue for this purpose, the State levy
should be increased.
Fourth. 1 believe in a thorough
/ reform and simplification of our judi
cial procedure, whereby justice may
be obtained in a reasona BILE length Of
time. / am sure that the present con-
gestion of our dockets could be re-
lieved, were there a commission OF
three, whose decisions would be final
! as regards all damage suits. This
would be hard on a few lawyers, but it
would benefit greatly the poor en-
ployes who bring such suits against
corporations, provided the decisions of
this commission be final.
Fifth. / shall advocate the en-.
forcement Of all laws on the statute
books. If they are good, the state will
reap the benefit. If they are bad, the
necessity for their repeal will be more
quickly realized.
sixth. Some candidates profess tu
ignore the fact that two political fac
tiOns do exist within the Democratic
party of this State. With equal jus
tice they could deny that the sun is :
the luminary of the day. l belong to
that wing of the Democratic party OF
this state which believes in a repre-
sentative form of government found
ed on the principles Of our State and
antional constitutions, and am op-
posed to boss rule as cXemplifeed by
Hucrta in Mexico and various bosses
in this and other States. | am the
candidate Of no boss nor any news
paper, but N asking for the Office of
governor on my record. | believe that
the executive, legislative and judicial
departments of our government are
supreme i'm their respective spheres.
The authority of one should not be