The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-08-10

> L
aud Cooper the Last Of Tie Guoc--
material Candidates Which Held
the Crowd TO the Close.
The campaign meeting forE candi-
dates for State Offices was held in the
Court House today, beginning at 1890
O'Clock, with a crowd Of probably one
hundred and fifty, which gradually
increased until every seat was filled
J and many were standing around the
walls and in the doors-the maxi
mum number approXimating six hun
dred, a large majority OF whom re-
mainad until the close of the meeting
/ to hear +. A Cooper, who was the
last of the candidates for governor
to speak.
! The audience was one of the most
representative Of all sections Of Sum-
ter county that has attended a politi-
cal meeting in recent years, represen-
] tative citizens OF practically every
neigh5orhood of the county beins
noted in the crowd. 1t was an atten-
tive and generally unGemonstrative
crowd, although several Of the candl-
dates were occasionally applauded
quite enthusiastically when they made
a telling point. The only speakers to
be received with general applause
when they were introduced were State
Superintendent Of Education and Mr..
I r. A Cooper, and these gentlemen,
! especially Mr. Cooper, were given
quite an ovation. Mr.. DesGhamps,
/ the FAT, halleluiah comedian of the
gubernatorial quintette. provoked
frequent outbursts Of laughter and ap-
plause by his revival style ofEorator''
and comical stunts. And Mr.. John T.
Duncan, the everlasting candidate and
publicity agent for the System. which
he alleges dominates Columbia and
! dictates politics and finance insSouta
Carolina. divided honors with Mr.
J! DesChamps as the headliner in the
vaudeville feature Of the meeting. He
! is as solemn and apparently as dead
" in earnest as his undertaken, s
countenance indicated. although, oc-
casionally, a sardonic twinkle in the
eye as he related the high crimes ana
n1isdemeanors Of the Svstem and its
puppets IN Office, gave evidence that
he was inwardly chucking over the
Joke he was pulling off on the rea'
office seekers in the campaign circus.
! Duncan is the veteran PERFORMER on
the South Carolina political circuit,
! all who attend the meetings. know
/ him by sight and he was greeted with
! applause when he was INTRODUCED. his
sarcastic thrusts at the Others candl-
dates and the dark-closet revelations
/ Of the Vaccinations of the head-dev-
lis Of the System-the Old Boss, W.
A. Clark, and the Long Green Boss,
Ed Robinson. caused laughteEand ap-
jplause. If Duncan ever diespT drops
/ out Of the campaign circrS. South
/ Carolina will have lost ~hersmost pc
culiar and amusing political humorist.
Mr.. Richards was intensely in earn
! est ard desperately eager to con-
tvince the crowd that he was and has
Epeen loyal and patriotic. but at the
same time studiousiy avoided any rel
erence to his alliance with Blease AND
! his inferential endorsement OF the
Filbert and Pomaria disloHa1. utter
ances of his factional high priest.
/ In closing he made really pathetic
; and feeling reference to his only soH
! who volunteered for service at the
! first call and now wears the. uniform,
Of his country, and it could be seen
! that he was deeply moved and fel'
every word he uttered-but he never
once said that he would feel that II
] that dearly beloved son should give
his life in proof Of his patriotism ana
! LOYALTY. it would be an unwarrantec
! sacrifice Of fresh young manhood. IN
F.! the sight Of Almighty God; or that
/ his blood would be On the hands o.
Woodrow Wilson and the members o.
| cf war, as Cole L. Blease asserted a.
/ Pomaria four months after the wa,
was declared and later reiterated al
other places in his disloTal efforts tc
stir up strife in South Carolina. NO
one could see and hear Mr. .RicharGs
and question his personal loyalty al
this time, but he does not explain
! how he reconciles his personal SEN
timents Of absolute loyalty and his po-
! lltlc1l support Ol toIe L. pleeiSo' IL -
best explained by the old adage tha'
politics make strange bedfellows. MI
Richards speech in the main was g
repetition Of speeches at other places
duri g the campaign. He promised
to, reduce taxes. even pledging him
self to veto appropriations for the
support of departments OF the gov
ernmcnt if he could not accomplish
! his purpose by other means.
Mr.. Rethea related his Office hold
ing record from the time he became
private secretary Of Gov. Ansel ther
Code Commissioner and Lieutenan;
Governor The remainder of ms
eighteen minutes he devoted to pa
tr;otic speech, the exposure Of Rlease
disloyal utterances. and Mr.. Richards
alliance viii Blease. and he did /
well. having the facts and records .
his tongues end. He said that Mr.
: Richards never admitted being :;
! Bleaseite-le called himself q lie
i former being ashamed to call himself
: y R.eascitc-even Blcase himself nav
ing reached the same stage. BEN.
ashamed to be known rs q Blease;':'
INnI-