The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1915-08-10
THINK OF ABOLISHING
COUNTY -TO.COUNTY CANVAS
Many Politicians StrenuOusly Oppose
Plan to Do Away With Old
Campaign.
News and Courier.

Columbia, Aug. THAT the county
to-county canvass, which has been
conducted every two years just pre-
ceding the Democratic primary in this
State should be abolished is receiving
attention in several quarters outside
of political circles. There is a feel
ing, to judge from many expressions,
that the biennial Circus" as it has
been dubbed, has outgrown its useful
ness and that it's continuation only
serves to keep alive factional feeling.
a. great many politicians strenuously
oppose any suggestion looking to the
elimination of the county to county
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 re-
quirements for entering the canvass
ought to be more stringent and a few
of them lave suggested that it would
be a good thing to require that can
didate must file a petition signed by
certain number of voters, say 5 per
cent, before ne could enter the can
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" because they
assert it would sound the end of any
but rich candidates.
| Many Disadvantages.
T3is is not agreed in by all the pol
iticians and by a great many people.
Those opposed to this canvass en-
phasize the incentive to personal abuse
and the opportunity it affords for the
campaign to degenerate into villifca-
tion and the impossibility of the dis
cussion of issues. Not only this, they
say, but the crowding of the lists af-
fords so little time to the individual
candidate 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 tie patience of the voter is ex-
hausted and he goes away no wiser
as to platforms than when he came.
Even if the villif1cation incentive and
opportunity were absent-which prob
ably majority of the people will say
is not-the fact that tie individual
candidate does not have enough time
to discuss issues, makes It, in the op-
ipion Of many, absurd to nave the cam
Vass.
In the last State campaign party
there were about q candidates for
the various State Offices, and even al
lowing ITEM ten minutes-and many
of them had less than half that time
meant an all-day's speaking, wearying
alike to voters}and candidates.
The strenuosity 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 exhibition and then hurried off to
Gte next county seat and this for
"A days. The canvass comes right in
the middle of the hottest Of the sum-
mer and the strenuous life and pnysi-
cal discomforts has broken down men
in some instances and very few go
through tie campaign without some
ailment.
Only State In Union.
South Carolina is the only State in
the Union which mas a prediction
canvass under party regulation.
Other States let each candidate run
his own campaign and b2ere are many
in South Carolina Wtco want to see
this State do away with the staging
every two years of a ring of the as
pirants 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 a close study of 11is matter and
Who have no political ambitions that
t would materially lessen the cost OF
l campaign to do away with the can
yass. The candidates have to spend
money for railroad fare and board and
his makes a considerable item, which
advocates of tie movement to abolish
he canvass point out would enable
poor men to run for Office where they
are now barred by this terrific ex-
pense of making the canvass. They
r,oliovo o1co +bo+ II would do oUov