Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-06-28
beaufort and WATERFORD
Specimen Meetings Of Dull Cam.
palgn.
The ATTENDANCE is VERY SMALL.

Gets Close Attention-Riehards
Peoples and Bethea Faetors-Des
Champs and Duncan Entertain
Candidates for Minor Offices Not
Very Well Known.
From the Greenville Piedmont.
| Beaufort, June 20.-The state CAM
paign party loafed today and invited
its soul. Beaufort folks had adver-
tised the meeting for Thursday night
instead OF Thursday morning, and
the candidates had no choice. This
was an improvement on Hampton's
arrangement, however, for that meet
ing had not been advertised at all.
Beaufort is n good place to loaf in,
The town is beautiful in spots. though
It smells bad, and the backwash OF
the Atlantic laps against the concrete
wall that holds Main street in place.
There are about eight negroes to
each white in this county. and for
this reason or some other, there isn't
much color line.
This morning saw n well dressed
negro slap a white man on the shoul-
der by way OF greeting. and IN hour
\ negro boy. apparently in his teens.
stepped to q parked car in which n
white man sat reading. struck n
match and lighted corner Of the pa
per. When the white man indulgcd
in general profanity. the hoy laughed
hilariously. but when the white
man became more personal in his re-
marks, the boy became quiet. and
said: "If you say one more word
I'll climb in your face"
Nothing more happened. am
afraid would not enjoy living here.
There are several hotels. The one
that was wished on me serves the
kind Of rations that would drive trade
away from Chicago free lunch
stand. The mosquito nets are cquipp-
cd with numerous vcntilating holes
through which the monsters swarm
to feed.
The first to register got beds. The
later ones were given knock down
cots and slept in the parlor. a can
didate for railroad commissioner and
n candidate for commissioner of ag-
riculture slept together on one OF
these cots, without net.
sometimes wonder what the can
didates get one half so precious as
the things they lose.
Each day makes clearer the fact
that there are but three candidates
in the race. for governor. Perhaps
another week will demonstrate that
there are but two.
Bethea is out of 1t. II he ever had
had q chance It L. gone. for McIaurin
1enmf6ated him al Barnweii
Duncan does not count. Of course
The people enjoy his talks, perhaps
more than they enjoy the others. but
they don't take him seriously.
DesChamps secs visions. He wccps
He uses figures Of spcech-ornatc.
scrambled figures. While he speaks,
the audience squirms. He wishes to
serve the people OF his state. and II
may lie that Destiny has called him
| to he OF service In this race-as con-
trast.
Peoples and Richards adhere TO
/ their set specchcs-good speeches
they are, too, If you don't have to
listen to them every day. Each has
strength, but that strength is a fixed
and known quantity, regardless OF
speeches or the lack of them.
| The only unknown quantity in the
gubernatorial campaign is the rela l.
tive strength Of NcLaurin and Coop
er.
make 1t my business to do more
or less talking with the folks-or
rather. listen while they talk. And
find that Cooper is very popular
Everybody likes him. His smile and
his handshake are assets OF real
worth. He gets generous applause
when he stands up to speak. and
more when ne sits down.
| On the contrary, when McLaurin
gets up to speak the atmosphere Is
similar to that OF n serious business
meeting. The more settled men OF
the audience seem to be deeply inter-
ested in what he has to say. They
don't cheer. any more than they
would cheer a talk about the analysis
of fertilizer. II Is simply a matter
of business to them.
One man Of this type said last
night:
$50 far as the governors race Is
concerned. this campaign Is childish
1t is opera bouffe-pure farce come
dy. The only men who talk practi-
cal sense are McLaurin and Richards
and Richards is not In McLaurin's
class. I was q Cooper man until this
campaign started, but we need q
more capable man than Cooper"
These views are set down for what
they are worth. It isn't my business
to interpret them. But the significant
thing Is that the men with whom
talk-farmers. merchants, workers.
seem to ignore the other candidates
land are either for Cooper because
they like him or for McLaurin be-
cause they think he has ability.
The candidates cut their time to-
night-the governors to 10 minutes
and the lesser candidates to five min
utes.
BY the way, there is promise OF
something doing in the campaign aft
er all. You hear It whispered around
corners that Richards has knife uI
his sleeve for Cooper and will a little
later on make disclosures concern
ing Cooper's part in the bringing out
of Lever to defeat old Ben Tillman