The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-07-26
LANEY sRECEIVES
GREAT OVATION
About 1000 of His Fellow
Citizens Greet Him at Ches-
terfield

SHeStSIleiu, July Sl.-IQ IeCSp-
ton accorded Senator George K.
Laney, OF this county, today by
about 1000 of his fellow citizens
at the largest attended campaign
meeting of the present itinerary,
was the feature of the day. At
the conclusion of his speech
bevy of beautiful daughters of
Chesterfield veritdb1y surrounded
Senator Laney with a mass of gor-
geous flowers, fully hundred
punches and baskets being pre-
sented to him. However, neither
Thos. 6. Mcleod Or Cole B1ease,
his opponent, were forgotten. Both
were the recipients Of flowers.
The town Of Chesterfield was dec
grated with vari-colored pennants
with the slogan, .Iarey for gov
ernor.''
An interesting episode of the
meeting was the presence Of Sena-
tor Laney's aged mother. Mrs.
Cynthia Laney. aged eighty-three,
who sat in one of the Offices Of the
court house and heard her son
speak and listened to the hearty
applause accorded him. In his
speech, Cole L. Blease, referred to
Mrs. Laney and said that her son
should be proud that his mother
was living and active at her great
age, and could witness the cordial,
ity with which he was greeted by
his fellow citizens.
Tie crowd was extremely good
natured. and the greater part of
it stuck throughout the entire
meeting. It was rather sparing
with it's applause, except for Sem
ator Laney.
: In ffie race for comptroller gem
eraI r. Hagood Gooding, speaking
first. stated that his opponent Wal
ter e. Duncan, would intimate that
Gooding had been removed from
office.
Replying Mr.. Duncan said. that
he didn't intimate that he made
the direct charge that his adver-
sary had been removed from the
Office of auditor of Hampton coun-
ty. In reply to Mr.. Gooding's state
meut that his trouble in Hampton
county's was due to petty politics.
and the animosity Of Senator
Lightsey whom he charged had
framed him, Mr.. Duncan said that
the charges had been instituted by
the grand Jury Of Hampton county
and he read the following excerpt
from the jury's report:
"We direct the clerk Of court
to forward copy of this present
merit Immediately upon its being
filed to the governor to whom we.
take the liberty of suggesting that
the county auditor (Gooding), of
the county, should be required to
perform duties even to the extent
of requiring him to show cause
why he should not be removed
from the Office in the event he has
failed"
Mr.. Gooding again referred to the
Griffin Hagen report and challeng-
ed Mr.. Duncan to explain why 179
voters of his home precinct, Ak
en-, Scratched" his name when he
was unopposed for comptroller gen.
eraI. Mr.. Duncan replied that, as
editor Of the Aiken Standard some
years ago he waged a fight against
"tas corrupt a gang of political
crooks as ever perverted public Of
fce,' and he had gained this
crowds undying amnesty.
DR.. e. C. L. Adams, candidate for
lieutenant governor came out to-
day in vehement opposition to a
tax on Iuxuries.
John T. Duncan, the first speaker
for governor, interspersed his ar
gument Tor state-owned owner
ship with sarcastic attacks on his
opponents, particularly Cole Blease,
who the State Democratic execu-
tive committee, he declared, should
rule from the primary elections.
CT am satisfied he said, 'tnat if
the lawless element which follows
BIease would depart from the
party it would mean a house
cleaning for the South Carolina De-
mocracy.''
He claimed the pardon record Of
the former, governor is responsible
for much of. the 1awlessness prev
.aIent in the state today.
Amid a great ovation, George z.
Laney arose to. speak to his home
folk. He told of his early asso-
Citations in Chesterfield, where he
worked himself up from a. poor boy
and graphically depicted his life
for the people and the soil Of his
native heath. He told of his work
for education and declared that il
he is elected governor he will re-
main the same George K. Laney
who has walked the streets all my
life"
When presented with the huge
mass of flowers, the Chesterfield
senator said: Ladies and gentle
men, I want to thank the good
women of my town for this beau
tiful floral tribute, beautiful girls
and beautiful flowers, symbolic of
purity"
Thomas G. Mcleod. the third
speaker for governor, congratu-
lated the people of Chesterfield for
the greeting extended their favor
ite son. He told Of the even tenor
Of the campaign. declaring that
when he entered the race it was
with the determination that he
would utter no word with a sting.
He made his usual speech rela-