Lexington dispatch-news. [volume] (Lexington, S.C.) 1917-1919, 1918-08-21

Mr.. Thomas H. Peoples. candidate
for the short term for United States
Senate. is a voting man who has wor
ked his way UP with few opportuni
ties. He was reared with the disad
vantages incident at that time to a
farmers boy: secured an education
as circumstances would permit; was
admitted as a practicingE attorney af
ter reading law at the University of
South Carolina in December. 1907.
He was ELECTED to the General Assem-
bly,. at the, head of the ticket from
Barnwen County in i ke. serving in
the SESSIONS of 1911 and iSlz: was
elected Attorney General in 1892
was reelected ever opposition. in 1914
and was resAessted fer the third term
without, opnesition m:;1e16. During
!, his administration as Attorney Gen
ral he, was .eleetedr-Aice President of
the National Association of Attorneys
General n 1915 and in 1915 was elect
ed President of said association. He
was the Youngest Attorney General
and the only Southerner who has fill
ed this high position. \
Having withdrawn from the. race
for; Governor and entered the race
for the unexpired term Of the. late
Senator Benjamin R. IIlman. / have
done so solely as a democrat. Evi-
dently nv actions and determinations
have created CONSERVATION in the
camps Of my opponents, for various
newspaper editorials have been verv
inuuisitive as to my standing on oues
tions affecting factionalism rather
than the broad and patriotic views Of
democracy. The narrowness Of such
an attitude is tending to behttle the
discretion of free thinkers and the
free action of free people. and do
not ask that a voter in South Carolina
Judge me by the standard OF any in
diyidual. but solely upon my merits
and qualifications to hold the high
and HONORABLE position Of United
States. Senator, NV, position in this
regard was clearly stated in a state
rient published by several newspa
pers On July 18th. and is as follows:
Iwas candidate for governor and
had visited about fifteen counties a
long with the gubernatorial campaign
with six other candid--es aspiring for
the same Office. and. SO far as was
concerned. my association with these
gentlemen was congenial and pleas
ant. Such will be NV policy in this
new. campaign which 1 have entered
if / am allowed to pursue it. | wish
it understood by the people Of South
Carolina that nv purpose in chang
ing from the governors race to that
for the unexpired term of Senator
Tillman was not malice or prejudice
against any one, nor was it inspired
by any political clique. caucus. or
otherwise. but it was simply deter
mination on nv own volition after I
had determined for myself the course
which 1 felt ought to pursue. better
suited to the State and the Nation at
that particular time. can see nc
reason for the supporters of any of
the remaining candidates for govern
or to say anything against nv action
in view of the circumstances upon
which it was based.
/ am not running upon the merits
or dement's of any one idividual. /
am trusting myself with the demo-
cratic voters of the State. as plain
democrat who believes in honesty and
fair, dealing between man and man.
AS have said before. do not think
it in keeping with the PRINCIPLES of
uaity among men at this crucial time
nor in keeping with respect for the
citizenship of the State and Nation.
for the candidates. newspapers and
others. to try to arrav class against
class. faction against faction and
man against man. We are all under
going TIE supreme test; We are to-
gether in one great common cause
for humanity. for liberty and de-
mocracy.
I have been called upon bv the
newspapers against me to say where