The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-07-01
TALK TO VOTERS
FLORENCE HEARS ALL CANDI-
DATES FOR GOVERNOR
Two TOPICS EMPHASIZED

Candidates Put Most Time on Com
pulsory Education and Coat Tai
Swingers-Present Administration
and Its Ways Are Roundly Con
demned by Many.
The guhernatorial candidates
spoke in Florence Wednesday.
Lieutenant Governor G. A. Smith
of Timmonsville, in Florence county
was the first candidate for governor
to speak. This being Mr.. Smiths
home county he did not make &
speech, but gave way to the others
expressing his sympathy for Mr.. R
A. Cooper on account Of the death OF
his wife. He asked the people to
give his opponents their attention,
but give him their votes. Mr.. Smith
received rousing cheer from the
crowd.
81 am before you this morning the
most abused man in the State be-
cause I have exercised my right to
vote for Blease for Senator cries OF
G. Richards of Liberty Hill in open
ing his speech for governor. When
Mr.. Richards said he intended tc
vote for Blease for Senator cres OF
"Sit down, sit down" We'd with those
of 3.Hurrah for Richards" from the
audience. Goat tail swingers" came
from the crowd. He scored the news
papers, calling them a ''contempti-
Bile oligarchy". Mr.. Richards grew
vigorous in his denunciation of the
newspapers. He again opposed COM
pulsory education, saying that John
G. Clinkscsles' plan would drag 1OO,-
900 negroes into the schools. "Hur-
rah for Clinkscales" yelled one from
the audience. He denounced the
characterization of him as a coat
tail swinger as false.
Referring to those who hoped On
him for holding on to the railroad
commission he said he did not pro-
pose to resign, citing as example
President Wilson and others. Men
tioning that C. A. Smith was 4-olding
the Office Of lieutenant governor,
Manning rs trustee of Clemson col
Iege, NJ. l.. Smith as Speaker Of the
House and "Wofford college could
not afford to dispense with John G.
Clinkscales," cries Of "Hurrah for
Clinkscales," and an ovation for
Clinkscales was given by the crowd.
He said these lad not resigned their
Offices when they entered for gov
ernor, and he did not propose to re-
sign the railroad commissionership.
Cries of "Down with Gov. Blease,
hurrah for Smith" were shot at Mr..
Richards as he proceeded.
Charles Carroll Simms of Barn
well opened his speech for governor
by pitching into the press, and when
he declared he had never held pub
lie Office, somebody yelled "And you
never will'. He expressed his
friendship for Gov. Blease, and one
in the audience yelled "Coat tail
swinger". He said the newspapers
were fighting him and the crowd, ne
said, were not giving Richards and
himself and Irby respectful attention
because they were friends of Gov
Blease and the poor men. Mr.. Simms
was constantly interrupted by cries
of "coat tail, swingers, hurrah for
Smith," in, the course Of his speech.
Mendel L. Smith of Camden asked
the people to get together and listen
to a sensible discussion of issues.
When he mentioned the great pow
ers of the governor and how he could
bring about lawlessness in abusing
the power, spectator yelled, "He's
already done it." He said he knew
the people would detest demagogery,
the wiles of the cheap politicians
and a discussion of sound issues. He
made strong argument for local
option, compulsory education, argu-
ing that this was the same Demo
cratic principle Of local government
contained in the local option on the
liquor question.
He gave the lineup Of the candl-
dates for governor on the compulsory
education issue and explained his
own advocacy of a local option COM
pulsory education law which would
allow each school district to vote on
th. question. What man will stand
Iere on the floor to-day and tell me
that he is opposed to submitting the
question of compulsory education to
the people of a school district?'' ask
ed Mr.. Smith.
"I WILL" answered John G. Clink-
scales.
"ProbabIy if we had had it in ef-
feet for few years you would not
retorted Mr.. Smith, at which the
crowd laughed and applauded.
Cheers and cries Of "the next gov
ernor of South Carolina" greeted
John G. Clinkscales when he rose tc
speak. He said it was a new busi-
ness for him to be mixed up with
politicians, but that he was having a
Jolly time. Mr.. Clinkscales lokeo
various candidates. The croWc
laughed at each hit. Then he launch,
ed into discussion Of compulsory
education, which he said was the big
issue.
He said he had been paid great
compliment by Richards when the
latter said Wofford college could moi
dispense with his services. He sale
Richards had told him he had no1
resigned and he said he had told hi!
trustees he was going to run fol