The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1916-08-16
DIBBLE'S FIGURES.

We called attention sometime ago
to the figures being given out in
Columbia by the Manning politicians
and ofice-holders, advising our read
ers not to be deceived thereby. It
becomes more evident as the cam
paipn progresses and nears its end
that the effort will be to keep Mr.
Cooper out of the second race again
by eleventh hour estimates and all
kinds of figures, Dibble's and other
kinds. The daily papers, which are
taken by the people for the purpose
of getting information, by failing to
give extended accounts of the meet
ings have contributed to the end
sought by the Manning crowd. Mr..
Cooper was for a considerable time
consistently ignored in these reports
with no other purpose than to lead
the people to believe that he is not
factor in the race. He has not had
q square deal.
And it is easy to fool some peo-
pie with this kind of politics, but we
were not ready to believe that an
experienced political writer like Colo
mel Joe Sparks, correspondent for
some ten or more papers, could be
thus imposed upon. In fact we re-
fused to believe it until we saw his
name signed to his Sunday letter, in
which he estimates that Manning
will carry every precinct form Pun
jab, India, to Rio Verde, Mexico. It
seems that Governor Manning had
just gotten home from a weeks
campaigning and the boys had gath
cred to hear the report. Somehow it
was suggested that it would be a
good idea to give out some big fig
ures and thus. boost the chances of
the governor. Not knowing this,
Colonel Joe imported his System"
into the Governors Office, and it was
at once "fulled" up with figures. In
fact when Joe got out, he had figures
in his breeches pocket, in his pistol
pocket, his coat pocket, his shirt
blouse, his shoes and several other
ploces, and he was talking figures to
beat the band. 49,.
And here are some of the figures
he gave to the public: ;
"The indications point to small
plurality for Manning over Cooper in
Greenville county"
'1n Anderson county it is general
ly believed that Blease will get a
majority of approximately 500 votes
over Manning and Cooper with Man.
ming second choice"
In Greenwood county Manning
will probably lead with Blease and
Cooper running close race for Sc
cond place, the bets being placed
on Cooper"
1t is evident to us that Colonel Joe
got some of his figures up-side-down
and some of them were put in the
wrong place. We can only say that
if he is as badly mistaken about the
other counties as he is about those
named above, the Cooper men had
as well get ready for Cooper's elec-
ton on the first ballot. Brother
Browne, of the Anderson Daily Mail,
suggests to Colonel Sparks that:
instead of being third in Anderson
county Cooper will lead Manning by
1000 to $500 votes, 'and may be
more" And that will be about the
way it will be in the other counties
named.
In order that the people may
know in the future just how much
dependence is to be placed in Joe's
figures, we have filed them away and
when the election is over, we will
publish them along with the results.
In the meantime every friend of
Mr.. Cooper must be on the watch
to see that people are not deceived
by the figures being sent out from
Columbia. Mr.. Cooper would be the
Governor of the state today but for
the fact that he was defeated by
eleventh hour estimates heralded
about the state two years ago in the
interest of the man who would now
succeed by these methods. The
people of the state owe 1t to them
selves to put the stamp of their dis