The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1914-08-25
THE SUMTER MEETING

o % 9 o o . . o Q 9 o . 9 9 . 3
The State.
Sumter, Aug. 20.-The senatorial
campaign came to close with a clash
bere today when L. D. Jennings de-
nounced the governor to his face as
"a dirty, contemplate liar This
was in answer TO the accusation that
l.. D. Jennings and w. P. Pollock had
been hired to enter the campaign to
help Senator Smith. Twice the un-
complimentary epithet was hurled in
the governors teeth. He offered no
resentment, however, though fnaked
by mis- bodyguard and members OF
the State detective force. In answer,
he hitched his thumbs beneath his
suspenders and stalked to the opposite
side of the stage, while the crowd was
thrown into a paroxysm Of shouting
and hurrahing for Mr.. Jennings.
1t was when the governor was
reading a letter relative to the candi-
dacy of Richard 1. Manning that the
tilt occurred. The letter, the COVER
nor said, had been written by an
anti-Blease man to supposed" anti
administration man, who happened to
belong to the other camp. The writ
er urged that Mr.. Manning was the
logical gubernatorial candidate for
the anti-administration forces to con-
centrate upon, arguing that he was
"the daily leading candidate" as in
dicated by the attacks directed against
him. The question wac asked by the
writer, did you ever hear of weak
man being attacked?' In comment
ing on this, the governor said, II guess
that's why they put Smith in the
race, and hired two men to help him.
Charges Made in Absence.
Twice previous the governor had
referred to Messrs. Jennings and Pol
lock as ''hirelings," once at Marion
and again at Monck's Cornor. At the
Marion meeting both had already
gone back to the hotel, neither being
on the stand at the time. Neither at
tended the Monck's Corner meeting.
Like a flash today Mr.. Jennings
leaped to his feet when the governor
made the accusation. Advancing hur-
riedly to the governors side and
touching the speakers arm so as to
attract his attention, Mr.. Jennings
answered: "Any man who says was
hired to help Smith is a dirty. con-
temptible liar" Waiting a minute
as if for the governor to make re-
ply, Mr.. Jennings again repeated his
denunciation. By this time people
began to Chamber to get upon the
stage. Policemen drove these back,
and State Senator John H. Clifton,
county chairman, advanced between
the antagonists. Forcing himself into
a cauckle, the governor took his
stand at the farther end of the plat
form, and, when the crowd quieted.
asked: "Isn't it funny how big cock
can crow on his own dung hill?" He
had been warned, ne said, that he
would be attacked here today. He
thanked God, however, that he had
men enough to take care Of him. He
then explained that it was mo use"
to start fuss, where whole lot oI
innocent people would be endanger-
ed. Il: any one did not like what
he had to say, 'let them come to me
when l leave the stand, and where
innocent persons will not be in dan
ger and I'll give them satisfaction,
the governor invited.
Smith Calls Another Bluff.
Senator Smith, too, called the gov
ernor to halt, when the chief ex-
ecutive said that he had had detec-
tfyes watching ''a certain Office in Co.
lumbia,'' and that these mad discover
ed that money was being sent out in
Senator Smiths interests. Some had
already gone, and more was to go Sat
urday, he asserted. He had heard
that one man had been promised
$1,000 yesterday. They'll never get
the money the governor asserted,
"and if the man sending it out isn't
careful he'll not hold Office long, the
speaker concluded.
1t. was at this juncture that Sen
ator Smith challenged the governor
to furnish the name of the man send
ing the money out and that of the