Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1916-07-12
CAMPAIGN MEETING.
About 600 Persons Heard Cam
didates For State Offices
Friday. Good Order
Prevailed.

About six hundred people, a con
siderable portion of them being Ia
dies, gathered under the trees on
the High School campus last Fri
day to hear the candidates for State
offices speak. The audience was
good -natured and the best of order
prevailed, each one of the candi-
dates being given close and respect
full attention. The county chairman,
B. E. Nicholson, presided. request
ing the Rev. E. Pendleton Jones,
D. D., to open the meeting with
prayer.
The first speakers presented we're
the candidates for the Office of Lieu
tenant Governor, A. J. Bethea and
Dr.. E. G. L. Adams. These were
followed by G. w. Weightman and
w. Banks Dove for Secretary of
State. The candidates for treasurer,
D. w. McLaurin and S. T. Carter,
presented their fitness for office.
The five candidates for railroad
commissioner were presented and
addressed the people in the order
named: Dr.. w. H. Kelly, w. T.
Thrower, James Cansler, Albert D.
Fant and G. McDutfie Hampton.
All of the candidates for Cover
cor were present except former
Governor Cole L. Blease. The first
to speak was John T. Duncan, who
attacked the system" that is ruling
South Carolina.
Governor Richard I. Manning be-
gan at once with a review of the
work of his administration. He re-
ferred to the condition of lawless-
lessness that prevailed, stating that
he discharged the special constables
that had been previously appointed
and appealed with satisfactory re-
suits to the local authorities TO en-
force the law. At the time he be-"
came governor there was no State
militia, all companies having been
|disbanded by an order of his pre-
decessor. Upon investigation he
found that order was given without
authority of law and he revoked it,
re-instating all of the State troops.
Re called attention to what a de-
plorable situation would have exist
cd when the riot occurred in Charles
ton had there been no armed troops
available to quell the disturbance.
When Governor Manning became
governor whiskey was openly sold
in Charleston and in the social clubs
of other cities in the State, gamb-
ling houses were run, horse racing
had been tolerated and other forms
Of lawlessness had become fragrant,
but through the carrying out of his
campaign pledge of two years ago
to the people to enforce the law be
concentrated his efforts upon i'm
proving conditions. The result has
been the closing of these places of
open violation OF the law and the
creating of a sentiment in every
section Of the State for law enforce
ment. He had always advocated
local self-government and appealed
to the sheriffs and magistrates to do
their duty ard they responded like
men.
In order to aid the local authori.
ties u. put some special constables
in Charleston and gave them orders
to raid the blind tigers several times
a day if necessary md finally some
of them had to be raided every hour
during the night. But they saw
that ne was determined to drive
them out of business and they closed
up. Governor Manning stated that
the last legislature appropriated
$50, 900 for the enforcement OF the
prohibition law but that for the
first six months he had used con-
siderably less than $4,000 of that
appropriation. Since be became
governor the State bonds have been
refunded at lower rate of interest,
thereby effecting saving of thirty
odd thousand dollars each year
while the bonds run. He referred
to the work of the tax commission
} III equalizing taxation. The COM
mission found that some corpora
tions were paying as low as Z per
cent. while others were paying 60
per cent. and they are now engaged
in equalizing the assessments.
He urged the farmers to take ad-
vantage of the law known as the
Torrens system for the registration
! of their land. Under this law the
l>orro,r;nr of poonny on and Will