The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1918-07-25
BYRNES ROU1SOPP0NENIS
ANSWERS CRITICISMS AND TAKES
DAY AT BALDOCK.
At Opening Campaign Meeting Byrnes
Meets With Great Reception.
Disloyalty Charge Fades.

"Our Jimmie" as he is fondly
known throughout the second dis
trict, entered the camps of his oppo-
nents Thursday at the opening of the
congressional campaign at Baldock,
and literally put them to rout. The
offensive staged by Messrs. Croft,
Toole and Evans, his opponents, was
met by powerful resistance, and II
the audience was the umpire, the Of
fensive was a complete failure. Mr..
Toole came back with a weak coun-
ter attack, but it did not even make
an impression. If the first cam
paign meeting Of the congressional
party is any index to the sentiment
of the people, Byrnes's opposition IS
very weak. Byrnes not only had
about nineteenth of the crowd up
roariously with him, but he was idol
lied by them. At the conclusion OF
his speech and when Mr.. Toole "as-
cended the rostrum," the crowd prac-
tica1ly all left the pavilion, some 60
ing to the dance pavilion, with the
evident impression that what was to
follow was not worth listening to-.
Most of those remaining crowded
around Congressman Byrnes and
showered him with congratulations
upon his speech, which completely
in the opinion of practically all MS
hearers, vindicated his record from
the attacks that fhave been continu-
ously made against him by his op-
ponents, particularly Mr.. Toole,
through the newspapers and other
wise.
The occasion was the annual Bal
dock picnic. The crowd was so scat-
tered all over the spacious grounds
that to estimate it's size would be a
hard task. From the number OF
automobiles, buggies and wagons
present it would seem that perhaps
two or three thousand people must
have been there. The ladies, chill
dren, boys and girls mostly congre-
gated about the dancing pavilion,
where a brass band helped to, make
merry. Most of the men went across
to the pavilion on the other side OF
the creek to hear the candidates.
Four or five hundred men probably
were in or near the pavilion until Mr..
Toole began speaking.
The candidates were scheduled to
speak in alphabetical order, Mr..
Byrnes being the first. This order
had to be changed, however, as the
train on which Mr.. Byrnes was a
passenger had a wreck and was SIX
hours late. The congressman sue
ceeded in catching another train,
though, and arrived when Mr.. Evans,
who was the second speaker, was
concluding his address. AS Mr..
Byrnes came on the grounds, the
people began to clap their hands for
him, and otherwise to display their
love for Jimmie" All during his
stay on the grounds, the congressman
was surrounded by fond friends and
, admirers.
While the crowd was very gener-
Gus with it's applause for the incum-
bent, only patriotic utterances of the
other candidates received any recog-
milton, and then in very moderate
doses. Hon. R. M. Mixson introduced
the speakers, prefacing the introduce
ton with a five-minute ringing patri-
otic talk, in which he urged the peo-
ple to support only tried and true
loyal friends of the government and
of the administration. The audience
heartily agreed with Col. Mixson.
Croft Goes Right in for Byrnes.
Hon. T.. G. Croft was the first
speaker. Mr.. Croft was not an entire
stranger to the audience, as he had
served a short term in congress,
succeeding his father, Hon. George
w. Croft, many years ago. He told
of. his record at that time. Right at
the start he announced that he in
tended to discuss the record of Mr.
Byrnes in "clean and high-toned
manner" He then commenced to
fire high explosive shells from rapid
battery equal unto the French 75's
into the camp of the congressman
He said Byrnes's record was as full
of holes as a sieve, and that he had
not voted right on many bills. but he
was only going to discuss his record
on one or two points. Mr.. Croft then
entered into a discussion of the Sc
lective service law, telling at consid-
erable length the virtues Of the meas
ure, and why every. loyal supporter
of the president should have support
ho had 10 H.