The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-05-28


trot him or any other candidate out
and / would meet them on election
day. This is the last have ever
heard Of Mr.. Booths candidacy for
mayor. His political feet either must
have become frozen or paralyzed.
Sometime ago I heard that some OF
the. soreheads were going to call
mass meeting to condemn the expen-
diture Of money in the building of the
ice and light plant. l stated to the
party who gave me thi information
to tell them to call their meeing and
all desire would be to give me the
same time on my side as all Of the
soreheads had on their side, and when
the meeting was over I thought the
people would know more about the
electric light and ice plant and more
about who the soreheads were; but
the mass meeting seems to have gone
the same route as Mr.. Booths cam
didacy for mayor took.
l am sorry indeed that Mr.. Booth
did not make the race in order that
his policies might be passed upon By
the public. The last night Mr.. Booth
was on council council had up the
question as to whether it was wise
to buy a new fire apparatus. Mr.. Nc
Callum and 1 determined that it was,
but Mr.. Booth thought it was not,
and because Mr.. McCallum and I did
not consider that his judgment anc
vote should be counted for more
than both of ours he resigned from
council and thereby deprived the tax
payers Of their wonderful protector;
but I am glad to say the electric
light plant which we had under con-
struction then has been completed.
even without the aid of the counsel.
advice and judgment Of Mr.. Booth.
He is comparatively young man yet.
and still has time in which to tes.
his policies before the people.
The next issue discussed by Mr
Booth Is the hard surface roads, anc
he states: He (referring to me-
promised 125 miles of roads whel
they advocated good roads before the
people: only asked for bond issue 0
two and a-half million dollars ts
further gave assurance that the bond!
would not bear interest greater thar
or S y per cent. Now would it be
keeping faith with the people to at
tempt to build roads at anything like
this cost when the aggregate woult
run to more than four million dollart
when you figure the cost Of concrete
bridges that would have to be built
do not know where Mr.. Booth
got his information as to what l ad-
vccated before the people. but 1 dc
know that Mr.. Booth did not take in
terest enough in the good roads prop
osition to attend single campaign
meeting which vas held in the coun-
ty, and / do not think he attended
the one which was held in the city
of Sumter. Had he been present ne
never would have made the abov.
statement. 1 did not promise 12s
miles of road, nor did. l promise the
rate of interest would be or 5 Il pei
cent; but, on the contrary, told the
people 125 miles could not be bull,
for two and a-half million dollars.
and as matter Of fact, suggested tt
the legislative delegation three ant
half million, nor did tell them the
bonds could be sold for per cent OF
51s per cent because / did not know,
!but 1 did tell the people that as fal
as my vote was concerned this two
and a half million dollars would be
spent in equal proportions on all o:
the roads of the proposed system;
that is to say, told the people if
this money would only build 100
miles of hard surface roads then
the same number of miles would
be built on each road that was part
Of the system leading from the city
Of Sumter. Mr. Belser attended
some of these meetings, Mr.. Davis
Noise some. Mr.. J. H. Clifton some,
Mr.. S. A. Harvin some, Mr.. ]. B.
Britton some, Mr.. j. F. Bland some
and Mr.. Stanyarne Burrows some.
and great many people attended
all Of them, and I am satisfied Mr..
Booth cannot find a single person
among any of them who can say
promised the people any such thing
as he states in his article that 1 did,
and l state most emphatically l made
no such promises
will further state that when we
held the first meeting 1 think it was.
the question came up as to how the
money should be expended on the
roads. and I stated at this meeting
in the presence of Mr. Booth the
promises which I had made to the
people. and I stated them just as they
are stated above, and Mr.. Booth took
the position that if one road was ~
miles in lengh and another only 10,
and if there was not money enough
to pave all the roads to the county
limits then the 90 mile road should
have twice the paving as the ten
mile road. I then stated and con-
tended that the board should stand
by the pledges made to the people
that the same mileage would be built
on each road. and there was stiff
argument up in which Mr. Booth
took the opposite view from me, and
I am satisfied every member OF the
board will bear me out in this 2nd
how Mr.. Booth can now say I prom