The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-08-07
STATE CAMPAIGN TALK,
NATTER OF ABOLISHING COUNTY
To COUNTY CANVASS tECEIV.
ING ATTENTION.
Many Politicians StrenuOusIy Opnosc
Plan to Do Away With old Cam
paign.

ty-to-county canvass, which has been
conducted every two years lust pre-
ceding the Democratic primary in this
State should be abolished is receiving
attention in several quarters outside of
political circles. There Is a feeling.
to judge from many expressions. that
the biennial Circus" as it has been
dubbed, has outgrown it's usefulness
and that, it's continuation only serves
to Keep alive factional feeling.
great many politicians strenuous.
ly oppose any suggestion looking to
the elimination Of the county to conn
ty tour and declare that it is the only
way the poor man" has of reaching
the people with his views. Some of
these admit privately that the REQUIRE
ments for entering the canvass ought
to be more stringent and a few Of
them have suggested that it would be
good thing to require that a candi-
GATE must file a petition signed bv a
certain number Of voters, say per
cent. before he could enter the cam
vass. This, they claim, would do away
with the running Of candidates who
have no earthly chance of election and
whose vote each year is so negligible
as not to amount to anything. But
they insist that it would never do to
abolish the "circus ring" tecause they
assert it would sound the end of anv
but rich candidates.
This is not agreed In by all the poli-
icians and by great many people.
Those opposed to this canvass en-
phasize the incentive to personal abuse
and the opportunity it affords for the
to degenerate into vilifica-
tion and the impossibility Of the dis
cussion of issues. Not only this. thew
say. but the crowding Of the lists af
fords so little time to the individual
that about all they can do is
to state their name and the office for
which they are running and then give
away to the next, and so on all day
until the patience of the voter is ex-
hausted and he goes away no wiser
as to platforms than when he came.
Even If the villification incentive and
opportunity were absent-which prob
ably majority Of the people will say
is Hot-the fact chat the individ
does not have enough time
TO discuss issues. makes It, in the
opinion OF many. absurd TO have the
canvass
In the last State campaign party
there were about twenty-seven candi-
dates for the various State offices, and
even allowing them ten minutes-and
many of them had less than half that
time-meant an all-days speaking,
wearying alike to voters and candi-
dates.
The strenousity of the canvass
doubtless keeps many men from run
ming for office, for many object to be-
ing dragged around from county to
county like actors in a show, placed on
and then hurried off to the
next county seat and this for forty
four days. The canvass comes right
In the middle of the hottest Of the
and the strenuous life and
physical discomforts has broken down
men in some instances and very few
go through the campaign without
some ailment.
South Carolina Is the only State in
the union which has a prediction
canvass under party regulation.
Other States let each candidate run
his own campaign and there are
many in South Carolina who want to
see this State do away with the stag
ing every two years of ring of the
aspirants for office and sending them
out to play one-day engagements at
every county seat in the State.
1t Is believed by many who have
made close study OF this matter and
who have no political ambitions that
1t would materially lessen the cost of
n campaign to do away with the can
vass. The candidates have to spend
money for railroad fare and board
and this makes a considerable item.
which advocates Of the movement to
abolish the canvass point out would
enable poor men to run for Office
where they are now barred by this
terrific expense Of making the can
vass. They believe also that it would
do away with factionalism and person.