The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-06-22
the STATE CAMPAIGN.
PARTY OPENING IN
WlNNSBORO.
Few Eleventh Hour Entrants-Statc
Committee Puzzled With Soldier
Vote.


Columbia, June 1S.-The State and
senatorial campaigns will begin today.
the former in Barnwell and the lat
ter in WinnsbOro. Time for the filing
of pledges and the payment of assess.
ment fees closed at noon yesterday
and a meeting OF the State executive
committee Of the Democratic party
was held in the State library imme-
diately thereafter, to consider the va
rious pending questions pertaining to
the primary elections.
Several 18th hour candidates en-
tered, George ". Wightman of Saluda
and Octavius Cob N of Monck's Cor
ner Offering for lieutenant governor.
n. G. Evans OF Edgcfield and r. G.
Croft of Aiken were the surprises in
the Second congressional district in
opposition to Congressman F. Byrnes
Congressman Lever of the Seventh
has three opponents, T. f. Brantley Of
Orangeburg, T. G. Mcleod, Bishop
| Vile, and George Bell Zimmerman,
Lexington.
Congressman Whaley Of the First
district, Congressman Stevenson of the
Fifth district and Congressman Rags
dale of the Sixth district are without
opposition.
! +. E. Werner of Richland, Oconee
county. fllec his pledge by telegram
Sunday, as a candidate for congress in
the Third district. The telegram was
not received by General Willie Jones
until 10 o'colck yesterday morning,
but as the lapse of time between the
sending of the telegram and the clos
ing hour in which a pledge could have
been filed by letter after application
had been made for the forms could
have been sent the committee ruled
Mr.. Verner's pledge as inadequate.
J. A. Banks Of st. Matthews reach
ed the committee just two minutes
late with his pledge as a candidate for
the office of commissioner of agricul-
true, commerce and industries. The
subcommittee rejected the pledge. which
action was sustained by the executive
committee as q whole.
w. A. Suckey of Bishopville did
not qualify as candidate for govern
or.
The committee wrestled much with
the problem incident to voting SOL
diers. sailors and men in the civil
service. An honest effort will be made
to provide opportunity for every man
in the camps and naval stations and
in the civil service in Washington to
vote. as anticipated in the Berry meas
ure, enacted at the recent session of
the general assembly but the task is
almost insurmountable.
The Berry act provides that boxes
shall be provided at each cantonment
for the As counties of the State. The
great task is to locate the absent vot-
er. Military authorities are not over
lenient with election matters and the
booths or boxes will likely have to be
placed outside the three cantoments
of the State. AS there are no specific
units of South Carolina men at any
Of the camps, the task is one of over
whelming magnitude and will require
strenuous effort on the part of the
various county chairmen and execu-
tive committeeman to bring any ap-
preciable number Of the men in touch
with the election machinery. The
Berry act was adopted as part of the
primary rules and central j,nmit-
tee. consisting of John Gary Evans Of
Spartanburg, State chairman; ]. A.
Berry, Orangeburg; Col. II. B. Butler.
Gaffney. and Macbeth Young, Union;
to provide for the application of the
machinery for the military, naval and
civil service vote. The federal gov
ernment has ruled that no provision
will be allowed for the men abroad to
cast their ballots.