The herald and news. (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, July 08, 1904, Image 1
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VOL. XL. NO. 56. EWBERRY. S. C.. FRTnAY JLY S, 1904 TWICE A WEEK. $1.50 A YEAR
COUNTY CAIPAIGN AT
UTOPIA YESTERDAY
MORE THAN THREE HUNDRED
PRESENT.
A Good Meeting Throughout-Can
didates Received Good Atten
tion-Questions Discussed.
Utopia. July 7.-The fourth meet
ing of the county campaign, held here
today, was attended by more than
three hundred people, including a
number of ladies. It was a good meet
ing. All the candidates received good
attention. A number of questions
were discussed, and while several of
the candidates disagreed on measures
there was a general good feeling per
vading the meeting and the day pass
ed off most pleasantly.
The meeting was held in the large
oak grove surrounding the residence
of Mr. Walter I. Herbert. It is an
ideal spot for a campaign meeting. In
fact, it is one of the coolest places
in Newberry county, if the word cool
can be applied to any place in New
berry county during this season of the
year. The weather was terribly hot
oday, but there was a good breeze
stirring here, and the heat was not
oppressive. In fact, everything seem
ed to work together for a good cam
-paigi meeting.
The people in attendance included
representatives of the currounding
cotintry and other parts of the
county. There were several present
from Newberry and several from the
extreme tipper portion of the coun
t.
The people took an interest in the
discussion of the questions by the
candidates and showed their interest
by their close attention.
This was the last meeting until the
9th of August. when the campaign
will open up again at Prosperity. It I
is a long wait. but there were conflicts
which could not have been avoided in a
-campaign in which there was not a
long recess, and hence the skip of
more than a month:
The Utopia section is a prosperous
section of Newberry county. The
crops are in good condition.
The Meeting in Detail.
County Chairman S. S. Cunningham
presided over the meeting and intro
duced the speakers. .
The first speakers today were the
candidates for county superintendents
of education. Messrs. Thos. E. Wick
er. G. Howe Ligon. and J. S. Wheeler,
in the order named. They all made
good speeches. favoring better
schools and promising to do their
duty if elected to the responsible po
sition which they were seeking.
The superintendents of education
were followed by the two senatorial
candidates. Messrs. Cole. L. Blease
and Arthur Kibler, and they
by the candidates for the house of
representatives. It should not be
judged that the orators were getting
in all the work here. All the candi
dates were circulating among the
crowd and putting in a good day's
work.
The Senatorial Candidates.
Mr. Cole. L. Blei,. was the first
speaker of the two senatorial candi
dates. He thought the most impor
tant questions before the people wvere
taxation and education. Taxes last'
year were high enough but county
taxes were a half mill higher this
year and this year the state levy was
ive mill< and the county levy 3 mills.
W\hen the legislature met next year
it wvould he found there was a deti
ciency of upwards of Sigo.ooo.Mr
Blease referred to what he termed
the glaring inequalities in the assess
ments of corporations for taxation, as
shown by the comptroller general.
The Southern Bell Telephone com
pany. for instance had $750,ooo of
property in this state and paid taxes
on S113,000.
Th stae trasurer had recently
borrowed $5oo,ooo to meet the ex
penses of the late government.
The people would be told today
that the county levy of three mills
was a mistake, and everybody said
somebody else made it. But every
member of the legislature was respon
sible for every act of the legislature.
Suppose it had been ten cents on the
-lillar instead of one-half mill? It
was a glaring mistake. if mistake it
was.
But why a three-mill levy? The
profits of the dispensaries in the coun
ty last year were $io.925.61. outside
of the beer dispensary, and one-half
went to the county. Where came the
necessity of this three-mill levy?
The speaker then took up the ques
tion of education. He opposed the big
appropriations for higher institutions
of learning. He instituted a compari
son of amounts used by state institu
tions on the one hand and denomina
tional institutions and common
schools on the other.
Mr. Blease opposed the education
of 'the "free nigger" at the expense
of the white people. He referred to
the fact that in Newberry the enrol
ment of negroes last year was almost
double that of the whites and a great
deal larger throughout the state.
He favored . bi-ennial sessions,
amending the labor contract law so
as to protect the farmers, better com
mon schools and goods roads, all of
which he touched on briefly. He op
posed bonding the county for good
roads..
He favored the dispensary law and
always had. but it was being abused,
and was not enforced as it ought to
be. Prohibition was impossible. You
can't legislate morality into people
His distinguished friend, Mr. Kibler.
had said if there was an organized
campaign between prohibition and
dispensary he (Mr. Kibler) would
stand on the prohibition side.. He
(Mr. Blease) would stand on the dis
pensary side.
Mr. Arthur Kibler.
Mr. Kibler took up the matter of
the three-mill county levy. Indirect
ly Mr. Blease had thrown it upon him.
he said. The delegation which repre
sented Newberry in the last legisla
ture was as economical as any dele
gation that ever represented New
berry. Suppose there was a mistake
somewhere. The county supervisor
and the board had met and decided
that 3 and one-half mills would be
necessary. The delegation decided
on 2 and one half mills and the amend
ment was introduced in the senate
by Mr. Mower and the senate adopted
the amendment and the records would
show it. All a member could do was
to introduce a measure. He was not
responsible for the mistakes of the
clerical department. He (Mr. Kibler)
was chairman of the committee on
engrossed bills. When he came to
see that the appropriation bills were
right at the close of the session he
found every member of the committee
gone and he got four members of the
house to help him and wvent over
them carefully. The N ewberry dele
gation was not responsible for the
mistake. The franchise tax bill. in
which there was a mistake which Mr.
Blease had condemned so strongly
passed the senate in which there were
30 or 35 lawvyers. Perhaps if there
hadn't been so many lawyers in the
senate the bill might have been con
stitutional. There was nothing what
ever in Mr. Blease's charges.
Mr. Kibler said he had always
fought big appropriations for state
.colleges. and would continue to do so
if elected.
lI a 3 mill levy was necessary to
pay the county's debts he had no
apology to make for it. The solution
was to put men in offce in the coun
tv who would not contract the debts.
lHe favored good roads and biennial
sessions, but the latter question was
now with the people.
Mr. Please knew all the time. with
ut having asked him at Williams
Stoe, th.at if there should be an or
ganized campaign in South Carolina
he (Mr. Kibler) would be on the tem
perance side. He had voted against the
Childs prohibition measure in the
house because the people of the coun
ty had told him by ballot that they
wanted to try the dispensary a while
longer. But he believed a campaign
was soon coming in South Carolina
against the liquor traffic and he ,would
be found on the side of those who
were trying to suppress it
He was not yet prepared to favor
compulsory education.
The Legislative Candidates.
Immediately after the dinner hour
the legislative candidates were intro
duced by To,ship Chairman J. A.
Foy.
Mr. John W. Earhardt spoke first.
The most difficult problem confront
ing the farmers of Newberry was
the labor contract question, he
said. The penalty for violation of
contracts should be as long as the
term of the contract even if the juris
diction of magistrates had to be ex
tended. But the cases could be taken.
to the circuit court. where most of
them were appealed anyway. In the
hope of solving the labor probicm,
he supposed. the last legislature es
tablished an immigration bureau.
Who thought the bureau would ac
complish enough good to justify the
expense? The only thing he saw in
the new department was a fat job for
somebody. Foreign labor would be
welcomed here, but he did not be
lieve in paying it to come. The ef
fort to increase the judicial circuits
was simply to give more fat jobs.
The dockets woud not be congested
if the present machinery of the courts
was conducted as it should be.
Some time ago the county was
shaken by the good roa'd- discussion
and as a result good roads machinery
had been dumped upon the county
and was proving a white elephant. He
favored good roads. but we should
not aim too high all at once.
The speaker opposed big appropria
tions to higher institutions of learn
ing. He had been informed that the
last legislature appropriated Stoo,ooo
more than the previous legislature.
and by mistakes in acts had knocked
the state out of$T5o.ooo revenue. What
do you taxpayers think of that? he
asked. The speaker continued his dis
cussion of appropriations to state
institutions of higher learning If
elected his effort should be along the
line of a general reduction. It had
been stated that the last legislature
refused not a single appropriation
except for the St. Louis exposition.
Wasn't it time 'to call a halt?
He didn't think South Carolina
could do too much fOr her old sol
diers.
Coming to a discussion of the dis
pensary law. he took up chartered
clubs. Why should a privileged few
be allowed to get their liquor in the
top story of some building when
others had to go to the dispensary
for it. He knew that some of the
clubs did not sell whiskey. If elected
his effort would be to do away with
these chartered clubs or at least to
eliminate the whiskey feature..
Mr. A. J. Gibson.
Mr. A. J. Gibson said the kind of
men the people of Newberry county
wanted to represent them in the leg
islature were men who were compe
tent. men who were honest, men who
would uphold and maintain the honor
and dlignity of their county. If he
measured up to that standard he
asked that they elect him. but other
wise. if the people did rot think he
measured up to that standard he did
not want the position. It would be
an honor to he chosen in that man
nr. notwithstanding that some said
there wvas no profit or honor in the
position. He believed the govern
ment should be administered like a
prd(ent individual wvould manage
his private affairs. Individuals made
states. The lack of proper manage
ment he believed to be the cause the
count and state were in debt today.
When a sensible man was living be
yond his means he curtailed expens
es. and that was what the state should
do. The issuance of bonds to pay de
ticiencies did not pay dtbts. but only
put mortages il the people and their
children. The expenditures of the
government 1ught to be reduced. He
did it. believe in cfippling any of
the higher institutions. but he heliev
ed they ,,git to be run more eco
nomicallv.
There war one itei in the appr,
priation bill which he would not
promise to seek to reduce and that
was the pensions so worthily bestowed
ion those who sacrificed their all for
their country's cause in the stirring
days of the sixties. The state could
never (I t-. much for these grand
h eroes.
Mr. F. W. Higgins.
\Mr. F. W. Higgins said that school
boy speeches in the legislature ac
complished very little. The work
was done in committee rooms where
men met each other face to face and
made concessions to each other. Tt
was bull-dog tenacity which created
in the minds of legislators a respect
for your pertinacity, if nothing else.
He promised to do his duty. and if
not he would never stand here again
for anything under the bright skies
above him.
The higher institutions of learning.
Ie said. had no better friend than
himself. but there had been an ex
cessive amount of money spent on
these institutions. If elected he would
examine closely into the needs of
these institutions and vote for such
amounts as would carefully foster
them. but not one dollar beyond.
He took tip the road question. The
county had $5.ooo worth of road ma
chinery to pay for and it ought to
be worked. He held that a return to
the old six-day term of road work or
S3.00 commutation tax and the roads
worked like they ought to be and
where they ought to be. ,we would
have good roads.
He opposed special terms of court.
As to the Brice bill. he didn't know
anything about it and he didn't think
any two men in the legislature knew
anything about it. To vote out a
dispensary and then pay to keep up
dispensaries in some other county he
I didn't consider a very delectable mor
sel.
He wanted to see South Carolina
do everything possible for the old
soldier. and while he was willing to
economize all along down the line.
he was not willing to take one dollar
off the old soldier.
Mr. J. W. Sanders.
Mr. J. W. Sanders thought the most
important question was taxation.
Taxes were too high, and it was on
account of extraordinary appropria
tions. If elected. he would cast his
vote against these large appropria
tions.
Mr. J. M. Taylor.
Mr. J. M. Taylor said he was a
prohibitionist from the crown of his
head to the sole of his foot. He
didn't touch it. If everybody would
do that the whiskey question would
settle itself. The main idea of the
original dispensary law was in the
direction of temperance. buit the main
idea now seemed to be to sell all
possible so as to increase the revenue.
As to taxation. the thing to advocate
was as economical appropriations as
posible. The state had to take care
of her institutions. But appropria
ions should not be made to private
institutions. He had heard $2500 had
been appropriated to a private school
in Charleston.
He favored taxation for road work
ing. Let a handfuil, say. be appropri
atedl the first year. used in connec
tion with the machinery-the white
elephant-that had been talked about.
It was a tine white elephant, a grand
piece of machinery. The machine
ought to be going. instead of stand
ing still. There was the trouble.
Mr. E. H. Aull.
Mr. E. H. Auill thought it right for
THE DEMOCRATS IN
NATIONAL CONVENTION
PARKER WILL MOST PROBA
BLY BE NOMINEE.
The Chances Seem to Favor His Se
lection on First Ballot-Fire
works May Come Today.
Special to Herald and News.
St. Louis, July 7.-The national
democratic convention adjourned this
afternoon at six o'clock until tomor
row morning. No nominations have
yet been made. There will probably
be some fireworks tomorrow.
Called to Order.
Convention Hall. St. Louis, July 6.
-The national democratic convention
was called to order at 12 o'clock,
Centra I time.
D. B. Hill. of New York delegation,
and his delegates entered their seats
without recognition from the crowd,
at 12.03. The Tammany braves en
tered. also without recognition from
the crowd. at 12.03. ,
Mr. Bryan entered at the head of.
the Nebraska delegation. Mr. Bryan
was well received.
At 12.10. order.having been obtain
ed, the call for the convention was
read.
The, California delegation as they
entered shouted their battle cry,
"Boom. Boom. Boom. Crack. Crack,
California. Hearst." There was
great cheering in the galleries as they
marched up the aisle and back.
At 12.12 p. m. prayer was offered by
the Rev. John F. Cannon. of Grand
Avenue Presbyterian church. Pretty
nearly every seat in the hall was tak
en. with the exception of a few in
the galleries.
When prayer was concluded Chair
man Jones announced the selection of
the Hon. John Sharp Williams, of
Mississippi. the brilliant minority
leader on the floor of the national
house, as temporary chairman.
The convention cheered the men
tion of Mr. Williams' name and un
animously ratified the choice.
Mr. Williams was conducted to the
platform and began his speech.
Chairman Williams' Address.
After a brief introduction Tempo
rary Chairman John Sharp William
took up the speech of Former Secre
tary Elihu Root at the republican con
vention recently held in Chicago. In
the most satirical manner point by
point he discussed Root's speech.
He said it dealt much in history and
in.a great deal of bad history. It was
a labored argument to prove, he said,
that the party of Roosevelt must by
something like a revolutionary pro
cess act as the party of Lincoln and
McKinley. This was necessary in
order to disguise the fact that it is
not so acting.
Mr. Williams characterized the re
publican shibbol eth. "stand pat," as
a precept born of cowardice and fear
to move. He said that Elihu Root's
praise of Roosevelt was nothing more
than a repayment for the president's
statement that "Root is the greatest
man the republicans have left in the.
country."
He took up Elihu Root's conten
tion that the money per capita in cir'
culation in the country has materially
increased, and that this increase was
due to republican administration of
affairs.
H e wanted to knowv what act of
legislation they would attempt to
show as being responsible for this
increase per capita of the money in
ciculation. He could find none.
Tak;n;g 'p the inap--r o; trusts,
Ch irman, Tali~1 ams a...; ted' and
wem on show that tih, republicans
had nt dlone wnat they - imed the:
hade' to cutr'im trust act': II ridi
en!edC( An-t rner' Generali wx and deC
n o; .dl .a lsurd th. epublican
claim they had perfected the inter
state commerce law.
(Cntinud on Fifth Page.)