The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-12-07
Col. J. J. Dargan's
Platform
Outline of His Motives in
Entering Race For the
Senate

To the Voters of Sumter County:
am candidate to fill the un-
expired term of the late ]. H. Cliff
ton. One Of the planks of my
platform is fully set forth in the
Daily Item of this sisue in a copy,
verbatim, from the Review of Re
views of March, 1920. published in
the city Of New York at Irving
Place, and has a very large and
wide. circulation, going almost, If
not quite, to every part of the
civilized world AS I have been ad-
vocating this change in our courts
on the criminal side where I served
resigned because of this defect in
the machinery that caused me such
troubles Of mind that may health
gave way and would never have
been restored had I continued to
serve under same conditions as I
then believed and now believe.
Hence I made a long and earnest
study of the system with a view of
correcting the bad working Of it.
I found my many times repeated
discussion in the papers, unnoticed
and the profession Of law, after
most earnest appeals in personal
interviews and other efforts. When
aS.I advanced into three-score
years period I had serious illness
which usually attends men over
sixty and was almost entirely dis
abled for any public work for near-
ly ten years Now am quite we'll
for one in his 74th year and am
making haste to get this piece of
public service completed while l
am able to do it effectively.
While was teaching by prefer
ence in country schools where the
need was the sorest and editing for
a time a little newspaper in Sum-
ter city, I set three big matters be-
fore our people that I felt ex-
tremely anxious to see our state
lead in-one was Woman's enfran-
chisement and the other universal
peace, and last but by no means
the least a displacement Of de-
fendant's attorneys employed and
paid by people accused of crime by
an attorney employed and paid by
the state as the prosecuting at
torney is now paid, and provis-
ion Of the law forbidding the use
Of money from any private sources
to any officer Of the crir>inal court.
Now let the people Of town and
| country come to the meeting on
next Saturday, 10th inst. in our
court house, commencing at -
o'clock noon, and continuing as
long, suppose, as the attendants
would like it to do. I shall hope
for one hour of the time as have
new question to discuss. 1 tried
very hard to have some appoint
ments in the country, but failed
to do 80. This. however, can be
arranged by attendants Of the meet
ing next Saturday. I most earnest
| ly hope men and women will at
| lCtIo Io1AI G1ll p01 - VI lllS COQl1ll .
Remember am only asking for the
opportunity to introduce a bill to
carry out my proposition. to have it
discussed by the committee Of
| house and senate and bring it to
the consideration Of the whole
civilized world
The meeting on Saturday in
augurating this movement for such
an amendment Will certainly be one
Of g. ~ historic interest and I pro-
pose to have good picture taken
! of the attendants and carefully pre-
served for the enjoyment Of those
who come after us, who will smile
to think there was ever any op-
position to having it made crimi-
nal to offer money from private
! sources to officers of a public court,
+ thereby giving criminals of the
blacklist hue to own agents of
highest order of intelligence to de-
feat the courts in the application
of it's prescribed penalties.
JOHN J. DARGAN.
!