The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1920-02-04
CITY CANDIDATES
ADDRESS VOTERS
Campaign Meetings Thurs.
day and Friday
ELECTION DAY s
IS FEBRUARY II

N"""'""''S ioi tHu9oE 'SUOkc Ill court
House Thursday Night and at Lau.
renS Mill Friday Night. Roth Meet-
mes Devoid OF Sensational In.
cidcntS.
Both candidates for mayor and sey-
eral candidates for alderman spoke to
an interested audience Of voters in
the Court House Thursday night. The
meeting was devoid Of sensations and
issues were not closely drawn r. e.
Babb. president OF the Democratic
club presided, Aldermanic candidates
were introduced first, but they had
comparatively little to say. Messrs.
Don irwin from Ward l. jim Lewis
from Ward 3. William Solomon from
Ward 4, and Albert Dial, unopposcd,
from Ward s, were all present and
pledged themselves to uphold the re-
sponsibilitics Of the Offices asked for,
to the best of their ability. Mr.. Dial
said it was probably safer for him not
to say anything as it might draw out
opposition to him.
Nj. c. NJ. Babb candidate for re-
election as mayor, spoke first for the
mayoralty candidates. He said that
ne vas aii advocate OF law and order.
permanent work on streets, lighting
system, sewerage and schools. He
cited figures as to arrests and convic-
tons to show that he had been fair
III dealing out justice in town as we'll
as the mill village. This, he said was
to rcfutc the charge that he had been
more lenent with law breakers in the
city than in the mill village Touch
ing on the finances OF the city Mr.
I5abb said that his administration in
hertcd a debt Of S23,309.42 from the
previous administration, that the pres
ent Indebtedness OF the city is $54-
1868, but that when his admnstra-
ton closes this year this debt will be
wiped out from the funds now coming
in He asserted that no previous adj
mnistration could point to such q
record. He said that no permanent
improvements had been made because
the government had stopped public I'M
provcmcntS early in his admnistra-
ton and that since that time labor and
material had been so high the city did
not have the funds to do the work
With. Mr., BaOb advocated a bond is
sue for needed improvements, saying
that the bonded debt of the city ought
to be S26S,O00 instead Of SGS,00O as it
now is. He closed with applause.
w y Riphn,r Ir tIo Dtbor
ddate for mayor, said that he felt
very kindly toward the present mayor
personally, but thought that he had
served long enough and that young
man ought to be given a chance In
repy TO Mayor Babb's remarks as TO
disparity in melting out justice as be-
tween the mill village and the city,
he admitted making remarks along
this line but he wished to make his po-
sition clear on this point. He said
mayor knowingly allowed gambling
in the city and arrested the "mill
boys" for going out to have y little
amusement shooting craps He said
that he did not charge Mayor Babb
| with knowing Of any gambling in
| town. He said that the vote OF city
employees in the election would not
influence him in the selection OF en-
| ployees if elected, but he said that il
vas not right for policemen to take
an active part iii city politics and
meddlc in elections If elected, he
continued II 4 policeman fails to en-
force the laws he will he suspended
until the law is enforced. In reply
! to Wquestion that had been asked him,
| he said that he would make public
! statements of the city'S finances
! from time to time Progress would be
/ the main plank in his platform, ho
! said and said the city ought to have
! bond issue OF 100000 fir public inn
| prOvcmcnts. Mr. Babb arose here to
state that Mr. Richey was littlc be-
hind the times, as the Chamber OF
! Commorco had already framed a bill
for the Legislature to pass which
would make the bond issue possible.
| MI Richcy said that il elected he
would put into operation the machin-
! cry for paving every important street
| in the city. Now is the time to take