Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-07-17
WARM Meeting AT AIKEN
Crowd Was Divided for and Against
BIeaSe and Smith.
FACTIONAL FEELING IS VERY SHARP
There Was Twenty-Five Minutes Dur
ing Which Speaking Was Practically
Suspended Because of Demonstration
of fba Hrnuyd


day. In all there were more than 6
thousand people present, and they die
not hesitate to show what they thought
Of the speakers. A feature Of the meet
ing was the injection Of the respective
merits Of Blease and Smith. This was
not until the latter part of the meeting
during the speech Of Mr.. Richards
The pandemonium was raised through
the reading by him Of written paper
and at one time the confusion lasted
for about twenty-five minutes. The
proceedings Of the day as reported by
the correspondent Of the Columbia
State, were as follows:
The meeting was called to order at
1890 o'clock by L. T. Wilds, county
chairman, who turned over the chair
to G. L. Toole.
Military Men First.
NJ. c. Willis, candidate for adju-
tant general, was the first to speak.
There were about so persons in the
audience. w. w. Moore, candidate
for reelection as adjutant general,
answered the charges of his oppo-
nent.
Candidates for railroad commits
sioner spoke next as follows: w. l..
Witherspoon, George w. Fairey, c.
d. Fortner, Frank ]. Shealy, ]. H.
Wharton. James Cansler has not re-
joined the party. When these candi-
dates had finished speaking the crowd
had increased to about 700 persons,
many Of them women.
There was applause when C. D..
Fortner said: ION August rs, Blease
will make E. D. Smith look like 80
cents
]. A. Hunter, candidate for lieuten-
ant governor, was applauded when
he told Of his part in the investiga-
ton of the state hospital for the in
sane. He was followed by B. Frank
Kelley, Andrew Jackson Bethea and
William M. Hamer.
A. G. Brice, candidate for attorney
general, said that he voted against
the usury bill because in his part Of
the state the banks charge no more
than per cent. interest.
Thomas H. Peoples, candidate for
reelection, characterized himself as
the servant of the people" He
charged that his opponent had voted
against the bill for the giving Of free
school books. He spoke Of his rec
ord as attorney general for the past
Is months, asking reelection on the
basis Of what he has done in that
time.
A. w. Jones, candidate for re-elect-
ton as comptroller general, delivered
his customary speech, defending his
administration against the previous
attacks of his opponent. Mr.. Jones
averred that it was not his duty, but
the duty Of the attorney general to
attend to the loss Of moneys in the
Lexington county Savings bank.
Smith Up First.
Charles A. Smith, lieutenant gov
ernor and candidate for governor,
stated that the question Of law and
order went hand in hand with the
liquor question. He declared himself
in favor of local option prohibition.
why do the anti-saloon leagues of
our state remain Indifferent on this
question:" he asked.
1--WE are not prepared to double our
educational facilities" said Mr.. Smith,
in defending his position on the COM
pulsory attendance question.
Mr.. Smith was given four bou-
quets.
Mendel L. Smith spoke Of the re-
sponsibiity attached to the office of
governor.
II emphasize two planks," said
Speaker Smith, "the education of the
masses and the enforcement of law
and order" He spoke in favor Of
good roads, advocating the use of
convict labor on the roads. He called
attention to the large percentage OF
He defended his position in favor Of
local option compulsory education.
He said that a statewide compulsory
school attendance law would work a
hardship on 500 school districts in
this state.
For Public Health.
I'VE must respond to the principles
of the medical profession in the mat
ter of our health and happiness
continued Speaker Smith, who told Of
the work of the state board of health.
Speaker Smiths statement that he
would honor the verdict of twelve
jurymen was greeted with applause.
Lowndes ]. Browning in speaking
of the liquor question as expressed by
other candidates for governor, stated
that he was in favor of local option.
He asked that Mr.. Clinkscales de-
fine his position on this mooted ques-
ton.
Mr.. Browning again urged that the
state loan money to persons desiring
to become home owners, thereby help
ing to solve the many rural problems.
He made an attack on the present
personal property tax, and advocated
in lieu Of it a graduated income tax.
John G.. Clinkscales, in answering
Mr. Browning's question, said that he
had answered the question at Edge
field.
He gave out the following statement
concerning his position:
"In view of the fact that the whis-
XIV question has been brought up in
this campaign, l wish to state my
position on the question.
II believe that South Carolina has
suffered from the lack Of constructive
legislation on account of undue agita-
ton of the liquor question and 1,
therefore. favor the enforcement Of
the present law.
Not Advocating Statewide Law.
Il will add, however, that l am a
total abstainer and am personally
against whisky, but am not advocat-
ing statewide prohibition in this
campaign as some would have the
people believe"