The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-07-15
CANDIDATES SPOKE
HERE YESTERDAY
ORDERLY CAMPAIGN MEET
ING. SPLENDID AD-
DRESSES MADE
LARGE CROWD HERE
All Candidates Are Given Re-
spectful Hearing. All
Applauded.

The senatorial campaign party was
in Abbeville yesterday and spoke to
crowd estimated at from 1880 to 2,0OO
people. The meeting was orderly
throughout and all the candidates
were listened to with the greatest in
tcrest. Even the little heckling and
bantering that cropped out between
the speakers and the audience was in
the main good natured. There was no
effort to embarrass the speakers, or
to otherwise interfere with the sched-
ule or programme of the big Show"
Senator Smith was the first speaker.
Senator Smiths eloquence on former
occasions to Abbeville county audi
ences, prepared the way for his most
cordial reception. Senator Smith Is an
orator of marked ability and he rose
fully to the occasion in Abbeville. He
had the closest attention of his audi
ence from start to finish and his elo-
uuent perioations were again and
again most heartily applauded.
He made no charges against other
candidates but gave an account Oh
his stewardship in his own way.
Senator Smith stated that it was
charged by his opponents at Green
wood that Hoke Smith of Georgia was
author of the cotton grading bill, In
refutation Of that statement he read a
letter from Senator Hoke Smith in
which he gave Senator E. D.. Smith
full credit for the bill. He then ex-
rlained the workings Of the bill and
showed how the farmers OF the state
would be saved from 6 to Is dollars
per bale on their stained cotton when
this bill IS in operation under govern
ment graders. At the close OF Sena-
tor Smiths remarks he was roundly
applauded. Some one in the audience
handed him a well fruited stalk filed
with the feecy staple. Senator Smith
held it out and remarked, Here IS
my sweetheart"
Governor Cole L. Blease was the
next speaker. The Governor departed
from his usual line of speech making
and consumed the greater part OF his
time explaining his action in the par
don of R. A. Richey Of this place. The
Governor was pretty well fortified
with doctors certificates both OF local
physicians and the physicianiof the
penitentiary, and other prominent
physicians to the effect that Mr.. Rich
ey was suffering with form Of paral-
ysis that would progress to death If
Mr.. Richey was not allowed to get out
!, of the penitentiary. He explained that
Mr.. Richey was paroled under five
thousand dollar bond and on his re-
covery could be 'remanded to the
Penitentiary. al. T..
On entering into his speech the gov
ernor said that he came to Abbeville
/. not to speak to the anti-Blease people
;. but to explain the Richey case. His
explanation threw much light on this
pardon, and placed himself and the
signers Of the Richey petition in Abb
beville in a different attitude from
that in which people have generally
thought of the pardon. The governor
twitted Senator Smith with claim
S ing the impossible when he claimed
responsibility for keeping up the price
of cotton in his cotton campaign from
New Orleans to Virginia, but there
were evidently plenty Of people in
the audience who remembered Sena-
tor Smiths fight and who believed
that cotton would have tumbled but
for organization kept together by
Smith and other prominent speakers.
The next speaker was L. D. Jen-
j nings, of Sumter.
Mr.. Jennings is an orator of the
sledge hammer variety, and With all
most logical, and convincing speaker
He opened his remarks by reading an
editorial from the Yorkville Enquirer
which alleged that Jennings and Pol
lock were running as aids to Smith
: and that their campaign expenses ano
perhaps a good bonus was being fur
! nished by some one. Mr.. Jennings
reduced his statement to writing 1T
order that there might not be any
misunderstanding hereafter of Wha'
he had said: "He said if the editor Is
p gentleman, he will either furnish
proof Of his statement, or retract it
tIf he does neither he is cowardly
contemplate liar"
Mr.. Jennings characterized Senator
Smith as zone idea man." Said that
the people needed in the Senate men
of broader scope. He said theI idea
that any action of the senator could
raise the price Of cotton was more
moon shine but he would give Senator
Smith credit for honesty as he hao
talked this thing so much he believed
1t himself.
Mr.. Jennings said that Governor