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/ ■ ■ ''r-'"-' ■■■■ ■/ PAGE EIGHT THE CUNTON CHRONICLE, CLINTON, 8. C. THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 1946 Candidates Open Campaign (ContiniMKl fawn pasre one) assistance for the aged,” he com mented. The speaker said that in 1926 the state had a deficit of 610,000,- 000, but that when he left the legislature in 1936 there was a surplus of $2,000,000. At the end of the last session, he said, ,,the state showed a deficit of $2,000,- 000. ‘'^fa^ters are in a bad way," he declared, adding that “it will take business men to straighten them out.” He warned of dark days ahead,j a.sked the voters to judge the fu ture by the past and announced that “I am ready to serve you again.” Walter L. Martin “I am interested in the farmer and laboring class because I am one of them,” Walter L. Martin, resident of the western section of the county who is making his appearance for public ofJice„ de clared in opening what*he termed his “first political speech.” j Mr. Martin .stated that he fa- I vored an honest and economical j administration of county and state affairs and a “balanced bud get in both.” “I favor adequate provision for the aged and needy and believe rate of taxation,” he commented. The speaker said that he real ized one man has,very little pow er in the general assembly but described as “the people’s duty” that of naming men to your public offices who will cooperate with one another in providing the best possible government for the greatest number of people. Martin promised that “I will be honest and sober when I ar rive at the State House and I will be the same way when I leave.” C. L. Milam the pre.sent system and set up our own, using the state’s money entirely. In which case there would be so much less than there is now that there would hardly be a taste for anybody.’’ Mr. Milam said that the had fought the auto inspection bill because it was aimed at the poor people and promised to fight for its rej)eal if the people wanted it. Taking issue with reports which he said were current, Mr. Milam pointed out that $600,185 of hi^- way department funds had been spent in this county in the past four years. He said that no new highways were secured the first year he was in office because the money for this county had been • used the year before by another delegation. “However,” he added, “last year this county received as much as did its neighbor, Green ville county. I am neither for nor against the highway department,” Milam declared, adding that he always voted in what he thought was the best interests of his coun ty and state. The speaker said that he had fought for the spread of rural electrification in this county and added that he didn’t care from what organization or firm the power comes ‘^so long as it comes.” “I have tried to remain on friendly terms with all the de partments because I felt that was the best way to get the most for my cqynty. However, I have sold no clique, clan or organization ex cept the Presbyterian church,” Mr. Milam concluded. A candidate for re-election, Charles L. Milam, farmer of the Lisbon cqrAmunity with four years experience in the house, recalled the two promises which he said he made to the people when he first offered for office, as follows: bet ter farm to market roads and im provement of the facilities for education of rural school children. “I wish to report,” Mr. Milam declared, “that today you are rid ing over the best roads in the his tory of the county, and that I, personally helped to write into the state law a provision that all white schools be kept open at least eight months in the year.” Mr. Milam asked the voters not to be misled by promises of large sums of assistance for the aged and needy. “Under our present system, half of the money paid out in such assistance comes from the federal government and, in order to get that _mol4ey, it has to be paid out under rules and regu lations fixed by the federal gov ernment. Under such a system, there will never be any such thing as every man receiving the same amount. The only way for us to fix the assistance entirely as we please is to withdraw from Jam* P. Sloan A brief biographical sketch of himself, including his parentage, i^ucation and experience, was concluded by James P. Sloan, Clinton teacher and beginner in politics, with the statement that since “early childhood I have felt the desire to be of public service to my county.” Mr. Sloan identified, himself as a son of the late E. Blakely Sloan, mayor of Clinton at the time of his death, and pointed out that he had received his education at Presbyterian college, Erskine col lege and Tulane university where he was active in student affairs. He pointed out that he taught his tory and government at Clinton high school last year and had been elected for another year but would “resign if elect^ to the house because I don’t believe in a man holding_two public positions at the s5iSe time.” He said that he is a member of the A. R. P. church, Kiwanis club and secre tary of the Clinton Democratic club. He outlined a 7-point platform on which he was running, includ ing a merit system for state em ployes, free text books for school children, a return to state-wide prohibition, biennial legislative sessions, sufrace-treatment of all farm-to-market roads, just labor legislation and liberalization of benefits under the compensation law and the appropriation of suf ficient funds for good public schools. James H. SulliTaa Men possessed of experience and a loyalty to their county and democratic system of government are those whom the voters should consider in electing their repre sentatives, James H. Sullivan, Laurens attorney and former house member and county super intendent of education, declared in making his appeal. Mr. Sullivan supported his pro fession of love for Laurens coun ty with the statement that he left a position in Washington with the federal government because he “got so homesick that I could not resist the desire to come back and live where my heart was—with the people of Laurens county.’’ He then pointed to his five years as county superintendent of edu cation and six years as a member of the house from this eounty, to gether with his experience as a lawyer, as equipping him with a knowledge of government oper ations befitting him to serve, in the house. What is needed; what the costs; and are the people willing to foot the bill should be the three fac tors determining how a man should vote on matters affecting the public, Mr..Sullivan declared, promising to vote that way him self. The speaker said that he was the author of the first roifipulsory education bill, the first member of the legislature to suggest bor rowing idle money from this county’s sinking fund and utiliz ing it in the education of our chil dren instead of borrowing addi- nweiB' for that purpose. “I can cooperate with any other men you send to the general as sembly,” Mr. Sullivan remarked, “and I want you to do as I am going to do—vote for the three men who you thirdc can best rep resent you.” Robert €. Wasson Pointing to the fact that he had headed the ticket in one of his two successful campaigns for the house thus far, Robert C. Wasson, resident of the Hickory Tavern community and candidate for re- election, said that he probably could spend his time in a way that would mean more money to him than in the legislature but felt that he could “best serve the peo ple of Laurens county in the gen eral assembly than otherwise.” As chairman of the committee on education, Mr. Wasson said that he was one of the two rep resentatives from the upper state serving as chairman of/an im portant committee and was proud to have been able to bring that honor to his county. “It is time for the Piedmont section of the state to gain more recognition in the general assem bly,” he declared, and cited his years of experience as placing him in a position to wield con siderable more influence through his “seniority” than • a hew man could. “Seniority is the basis on which most of the committee ap pointments are made,” he de clared, and “indirectly has its weight in deteimining the amount of consideration a section of the state receives in other matters.” “My rcord needs no defense,” Mr. Wasson declared, and added that he had had hi'^ part in “straightening out the. financial condition in^hich the coimty was four years ago.’* He added that the county had been placed on a sound financial basis while, at the same time, taxes have been re-, duced. “The supervisors of past years can not be blamed for the bad roads we had,” Wasson said. “They had no decent machinery to work with. We have given the supervisor and the c<mimlssioners money to purcha^ new and im>d- m machinery and today new roads and bridges have been built where the state hi^way depart ment never knew roads existed.” Mr. Wasson said that the pav ing of roads in the state hi|^\vay system was systematically rotat-* ed by the hifdiway department and that “no matter who compos es your next delegation ther^ are certain roads in this county which the hi^way department has id-^ ready approved for paving socm. And contrary to what some would have you believe, the state high way department has built roads in this county during the past four years, too.” Other improvements which Mr. Wasson said he had a part in making possible for the county were the agricultural building, coimty library building, circulat ing library, club market building, ‘and rural electrifi^tion. He voted against the hignway inspection bill, he said. “I was responsible and sober when you sent me to Columbia. I and I come back to you today that way,” Mr. Wasson asserted in conclusion. Sheriff Tom D. Abrams, the first can didate speaking for sheriff, said that he imff 2(r years exp^ehice as a deputy under four different sheriffs. H said that he believed an of ficer should be a gentleman at all times and that, if elected, he proposed to dismiss any of his ' deputies whom he found conduct ing themselves in a manner un becoming to the office. “I will employ as many deputies as the delegation permits,” he said. C. W. Wler Caldwell W. Wier, candidate for re-election, declared that he had “delivered the good, clean en forcement of the law I promised •you four years ago.” He said he believed he had a “good bunch of fellows” working with him, but promised ^at he would discharge immediately any deputy who could be proven to have “corrupted his office.” “How ever,” the sheriff warned, “I will not discharge any man, nor will I have him persecuted, because of any personal grude or ill will borne him by another man.” Sheriff Wier deplored an in crease of'817 jail Jn the past four years as comimli^o^the preceding four years, vtilbl^ng that increase almost riuhpelir to the removal of the prohibition law. Realizing that the rural sec tions tepresents a large share of this county’s population. Sheriff Wiet said that his first action up on entering office was the desig nation of certain deputies to pa trol the countryside every night. “la^at way, I have tried to give police protection to the entire county and not just to the cities,” he said. 'The sheriff said that he favored and would recommend to the del egation the increasing of the age limit for youths admitted to state indiistrial schools from 17 to 21 years so “our young pe<^lc w(m*t be brou^t into. contact with hardened criminals on the chain gang and in the prisons.” During his term, he said, 269 cases have gone into the hii^ier courts, 173 were found guilty, of which only 59 went to the jury, 35 were acquitted by the jury and two dismis^ for lack of evi dence.' “I have tried to let my work make my campaign speech every day I was in office,” the sheriff concluded. Svpervlssr Bennie B. Blakely, the first speaker for supervisor, said that he favored special attention to roads over which school busses and mail carriers ride, promised to ask the bus drivers to notify him of needed repairs and to have a crew of men available for immediate attention to reports. “Your trust will never be be trayed by Blakely,’’ the speaker declared. J. A. Gathrie Asserting that he had tried to carry out the promises made by the late A. Rhett Martin, the man to whose- unexpired term he was date for re-election as supervisor, said that he was entering the-pri mary altlmu^ he understood that the anointment was for the full four years at the time it was made. He said that It had been im possible to get the attorney-gen eral to give a clear-cut ruling on the question so the coimty execu tive committee was forced to piaCe the office in the primary. “Sixty miles of surface-treated road have been given the county during the time I have served,” Mr. Guthrie said, and declared that it was his desire to see that all county roads are either sur face-treated or topsoiled. Mr. Guthrie said that the coun ty had been saved half the cost of concrete pipes used in build ing roads through a contrivance which he had built to “make our own pipe.” He said that he had cooperated with the delegation, had not discharged a man, and believed “we have better -roads today than ever before.” J. Ben Hantar Expressing his appreciation for the support given him two years ago in his race for county emn- mlssioner, J. Ben Hunter, farmer, said that he was a “self-made” man running the race with the support of no particular group. He claimed partial credit for the county’s school bus system, and promised to use just as much of this county’s resources and men as possible in the continu ance of the road program. “If the delegation will give me a rock crusher and the other nec- e^ry machinery, I will get rock right out of_piis county that is just as good as that brought in at big prices for use on our roads. In that way Fjvill give more em- * ployment to local men and keep more of the money at home," Mr. Hunter declared. Lander B. Stoddard Declaring that during his ser vice as county commissioner, he had “month after memth” taken money out of his own pocket to pay his traveling exposes over and above his mileage allowances; Lander B.. Stoddard, present county commissioner, basMi his appeal for election to the office of supervisor on his experience and long-felt desire to serve in that capacity. “My purpose would be to con tinue the road building program we have already started and to . adhere strictly to the provisions of the supply bill in all expendi tures,” Mr. Stoddard declared, adding that he would fpvor the establishment of a. workshop and the employment of a good me chanic to maintain the “modem road machinery we now have." “For three and one-half years I have' helped to spend the county’s money and I feel that I can con tinue spending it for the bat in terests of the county. I know the job and am ready to serve,” Mr. Stoddard concluded. B, L. Toagne . Asserting that for the past four years he had secured pra^cal ex- perimee by actually operating the “modem road machinery” we now have, R.‘ L. Teague, 36-year-old candidate for supervisor, said that visor because I believe I can handle the job better than any man in the race.” He pointed out that he was bom just “the offier side of Rabim cmek,” described his practical ex perience in road and chain gang work and said “I would like to give the county a fair, honest mtf clean administration of the of fice of supervisor.” John B. Whsiteii Also a present county conunis- sioner, John H. Wharton, farmer- resident of Waterloo township, welcomed ^ listeners and other candidates to “my home commu nity.” * He pointed to the fact that for three terms be had been elected to the office of county commis- sionr, once on the Brat ballot by “the large total of about 6,060 ballots.” He said that he was mindful of the fact that other good men were running for su pervisor, but based hils claim fojr (xmsideration on the fact ffiat for six years as commissioner he had been training himself in the nec essary work, “many times at my own expense,” and now wished to use that experience in the hi|d^ er office. #4 He said that as one of the thrdp members of the eounty board hip had taken an active and cooper ative part in spending the money appropriated by the delegation to bring about a number of improve ments for the county. 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