The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1920-09-20
ADVERTISING IN POLITICS

One of the interesting features of
the always : interesting Abbeville
Press and Banner during the recent
contest in tn Democratic Party of
this State foi :,!e nomination Of the
United States Senstcr was the at
tractive cline of political advertis-
! ing" it carried, and for which we
trust it was amply compensated. A
good many years ago candidates for
public office in this State seemed to
have an idea that they were doing
/ the newspaper a great favor be-
sides contributing largely to their
! financial strength when they were
authorized the publication of can
nouncements" that they would af-
ford the people the opportunity of
voting for them at the approaching
elections, the announcements to be
printed in every issue of the papers
favored with them until the day OF
the election for the sum of five
dollars. If the, old account books
could be found it would be discov-
cred, doubtless, that not infre-
quently such recognition Of the
newspapers by the candidates was
unaccompanied by the necessary
currency to encourage the trans
action of business.
1t is gratifying to note that there
has been marked improvement in re-
spect of the value placed upon the
newspapers by forward-looking can
didates as the most convenient
means of reaching the voting popu-
lation; so convenient and valuable,
indeed, that they are willing to pay
for such space in the advertising
columns of the papers as may be re-
quired to compel the attention and
at the same time convince the judg-
ment of such persons as may be
qualified to vote.
There was considerable volume
of intimate statements made BY
certain candidates, particularly
candidates for United States Sena-
tor during the recent Democratic
primary campaign; statements ad-
vising the electorate of the prin-
ciples for which they stood, of SER
vice to the public they had rendered
and of further service they would
render should the people choose be-
tween them the best of the men
ready, willing and waiting to prove
their good faith by their abundant
works. 1t so happened that the
fight was in the family, so to speak
and that the newspapers generally
tried to be judicial in their atti-
tude towards the candidates COM
peting for the public favor.
Certainly, the newspapers in
Spartanburg were not extensively
partisan in their conduct during the
campaign ,as the Abbeville paper
intimates. They were favored by
the candidates with much Inter
estin' readin'," for their advertising
columns and would have gladly in
creased the space devoted to this ad-
mirable method of reaching the pub
lie. In Abbeville County, the candi-
date for United States Senator to-
ward whom The P. and B. inclined
somewhat, received 1926 votes, and
the candidate it did not SEEM to care
so much for received GAL votes. The
difference between these figures
indicates in a way the measure of
the vote-getting influence of The
P. and B. The total vote in Abbeville
County in the second primary was,
1876; the total vote in Spartanburg
at his election was 7,141, or more
than four times the vote polled in
Abbeville. The vote polled in Spar
tanburg for the candidate, who
seemed to be the favorite of The P.
and B., was 4,341 and the vote cast
for his competitor for 1851 in each
case nearly three times the total
total cast for Senator in Abbeville.
Our contemporary says that the
race has been 'fhappily brought to
conclusion" It seems to be, pleased