Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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DRAWS FIRST BLOOD Gary and Patterson Engage in a Lively Scrap. LATER BOTH EXPRESS REGRETS. ? ? A Rough-and-Tumble Affair in Which Honors Were Easy, and Nobody Sc? rlously Hurt. At Spartanburg Spartanburg, Special.?The meeting here was much on the usual order. The speeches were the same as those reported from other meetings with slight local hits to fit the crowd. TheTe was a good sized and well behaved audience out to listen to the speaking. Each candidate seemed to be a favorite with a part of the crowd, and all were attentively and respectfully liotto Union Spsaking. Union, Special.?The meeting here was quiet, orderly and well attended. There were no special features. The meeting started with prayers, and then came the lieutenant gov ernore. Cole L. Bleaae spoke aa usual, particularly favoring biennial sessions. Mr. C. L. Winkler alluded approvingly to the fact that factionalism had died out and was not in evidence this year. Col. John T. Sloan wanted county government and control of the liquor Question and argued that it was coming to that. Capt Jennings and Treasurer Timmerman spoke as heretofore, presenting their purely personal claims for State treaeurership. Mr. J. P. Derham took up his administration and insisted that he has all along been demanding specific charges. He could not see that his fam'ily living in Horry had anything to do with his administration, provided he atttended to his work, which he did. Mr. Brooker denied that he supported Derham in 1898. He insisted that he had saved the State $50,000 in five years. He charged that he could prove that Derham was at his home three-fouTths of his time. He took up a charge as to Cla*,?don that Derham allowed over $4,000 worth of executions held up against law. The auditor had no right he insisted, to allow credits on executions held up. The State has collected some of this money through him. Then he took up his Marion charges, where he alleged that the treasurer i year after year violated the law. Mr. Derham in reply said the statement was made to him that the sinking fund agent took off the executions and collected some, and the endorsement he made showed it. In Clarendon his settlements show an improved i condition on the line complained of. I Mr. McMahan indicated certain im- I provements that he had inaugurated i and then took up his replies to Mr. I # Capers' charges about employing outsiders for the summer schools and why he employed the best teachers to take charge of colored institutes. A northera granite workman, who had a scrap wanted to know why McMahan wanted to give negroes manual training to put them in competition with him and otheu- mechanics, and not in competition with the other professions. Mr. McMahan said that every laborer deserved equal credit and negroes had to work somewhere and the best will win. Tho prowd did not want the ques tioner to interrupt, as he was not a citizen. Mr. Ellison Capers wanted the superintendent of education to give due regard to local authorities, which McMahan had not done. He insisted that his experience as county school teaoheT and county superintendent better qualified him for the work. He believed McMahan was a good southerner. but he had unconsaiously gotten notions that were not southern, THE RAILROAD COMMISSIONERS. W. D. Evans said if he had not been an honest and faithful ofTicer he would not have the face to ask for re-election. He reiterated one by one what rates had been reduced and what troubles had been encountered. Much salt, he said, should be spread over what other candidates said of his character and work, because it was simply an offrtrt to tear hiim down. B. B. | Evans, he insisted, misrepresented the brick and other rates and did not care what he said, <n his effort to get the | office. It was also false that railroad assessments had been reduced, as Barney Evans charged. He vigorously defended his reputation for honesty throughout Mfe. J. H. Wharton tried hard to amuse the audience that had all along listened patiently and quietly without a word of encouragement or pleasure. His throat has gone back on him. Mr. Thoe. Nimrod Berry wanted to be elected as a business man, who was careful, sober and trusted by bis borne people. He waDted to have his character investigated and to be voted upon on his record. Mr. J. E. Pettigrew discussed the duties of the office and why he should be elected, and his Tecord for his people. WHITMAN AT HOME. G. Walt Whitman was in his home county and impressed the idea at men standing by their county men and then t that the up-country should vote for ( Hoyt or himself. The dispensary law 1 had better be repealed than allow the < law to be trampled. He branched out 1 to Jump on State aid to colleges. < GARY'S DISPENSARY VIEWS. t Frank B. Gary impressed his usual f positions and there ought to be no misunderstanding about his dispen- ] sary views so persistently does he re- : iterate them. It seems they all agTee that Gary is the man they have to 1 down. Patterson's attempt to soil him 1 does not make Patterson worthy or en- j titled to the officer He branched off i to say the State needs all its colleges i as well as common schools. He rapped 1 Patterson for questioning hte good will < towards the old soldiers. < PATTERSON AND THE GARY 1 BROTHERS. 1 Mr. A. Howard Patterson said Gary j had put himself in a hole by his own speeches. The Garys were his friends < and be hoped would so continue and ] then he took up the Gary brothers, i their offices and pay and was against \ concentration of power in the Gary ] family, and $8,000 was too much to go ] to one family. Of course he reiterated his charge as to the Charleston speech. ( r>erended_dispensary and Jumped on , prohibition. He pounded away at the ] alleged tigers in Charleston and Columbia. Col. Hoyt joked at the expense o,. the . other candidates. All of the candidates would take votes if they could ^ get them. All tills talk about Mr. . Gonzales and The State is all bosh, j for if they know me they know that , Mr. Gonzales or no one else would . boss him. Patterson had a square cornered head and had loaded the non- ^ senaical coalition matter in his head and could never get it out. As far as . he heard Patterson was about the standstill when he started. It was , curious that Patterson had never got- j ten a paper to support him and yet no 1 one objected to such support. Patter- , son had paid the News and Courier more than any candidate had yet spent. Any candidate would accept honorable 1 newspaper support. He devoted time to support his prohibition platform. , He insisted once and for all time that , he was against the State and county boards and enforcing the law. He ( was confident of Union's independence and how it would vote. Gov. McSweeney insisted that every effort to show that he was not the friend of the dispensary was unfair ?T uj- I ana untrue, tie gave iuuy ma r?u?uua i for reducing the constabulary and how j he is practically enforcing the law as i the records show. His course was popularizing the system. He explained the trouble in Charleston to show that the fault was not his. but belonged to the Jurors. He read a letter to Chief Howie dated January 17, in which six months ago he wrote that he had heard the constables were afraid to act in Charleston and Clerk Harris wrote: "I wish to know if there is any impression prevailing among your men that the governor is in favor of your permitting any tigers whoever they be to operate unmolested in your city. If so you may assure +Wa+ t vioifa caan thrx imvhpnnr In | tueiu mat i imic otvu vuv v...w. ... I reference to this rumor and he directs i me to say that you and your force are | expected to enforce the dispensary law | in Charleston as thoroughly and rigid[ ly as possible and to seize liquor from j anyone unlawfully shipping or selling it. Believe the minds of your men of [ any erroneous impression they may have in this respect and urge them to be diligent and show no quarter to blind tigers. If it appears to the governor that they are not doing their duty in this respect he will remove them." Col. James H. Tillman spoke on patriotic lines. He stands flatfootedly I r\v* Vi A i a rvon c a rv nlatfftrm a fl H vifiTOr ou8ly against prohibition. Barnard B. Evans took up flour rates and then the cotton rates, which he said forced Union to buy its cotton in Mississippi instead of in South Carolina. Of the rates on meat, flour, fanning implements and the like, nothing is said, because nothing is done on those rates. Spartanburg and Union, he argued, are discriminated agarinst in coal ratees, becausje the commission sits idly by and does*nothing. Carlisle pays $7 more a car for corn than Chester, and It goes through Carlisle to Chester. The trouble is the commission does nothing, and then he took up the Southern and Seaboard missing connections at Carlisle. As to his brick rate, he got it from James L. Howell, a reliable man of Union, pays the same rate as Spartanburg on brick ! from Campobello. It looked like the railroads owned the commission. < Mr. Jos. T. Johnson and Congress- t mnn Stonvarno Wilson SDOke briefly * on national issues. Mr. Johnson did not believe in Gatling gun Christianity. Stanyarne Wiison said he would visit the county campaign meetings. Predicted Democratic success in next election. RECEIVED WITH ENTHUSIASM. Senator Tillman was pleasantly introduced by Chairman Greer and was received with much enthusiasm. This was his first visit here in five years, and thankede the audience for its patience. He reiterated why he was on the campaign. He eaid pointed things about why he came and the crowd laughed and felt tickled. He insisted that he was still as much interested in i South Carolina as anyone else. He re- < lnforced his argument as to why he ' neither now or before wanted a machine. There are several men in high life who have no opposition who are keeping their mouths shut on this great is ?ue. They are politicians while he :laimed to be a statesman. As he :hought a statesman was a leader who lid not consider his personal Interests jut those of the people. He had lots >f fun about his marrying Miss Fana;ioism-Prohibition with Common Sense and the child Dispensary. He said: "If yon haven't sense to pick your governor, God help you. and pou need to be examined for lunacy," We would not complain of whatever R'ould be done but he would be fearh?lly demoralized If the people elect a governor whose election would in time mean the free flowing of lquor and thereby throw away the good work of the dispensary; but what should be lone was to perfect the system and jlect a governor and see that he en'orced the dispensary law. Charles, ton and Columbia were as usual, preaching the doctrine of secession. Is Charleston in South Carolina or South Carolina in Charleston? Are laws to be nullified at pleasure? There las been too much infernal fussing in the State board to suit him; there aave been too many shortages and too nuch of a miix-up on the enforcement, ro admit this would mean that our livilizatlon is going backwards. The thing to do is to perfect the law. stand >y it and elect honeat men to have charge. Then he took up the min/isterial question and reiterated that the 'alliance" existed as he viewed it. Sftm? nf the men who will vote for Hoyt will be dishonest in their support, because they do not agree with lis principle. He insisted that there aras no sin in drinking, but in the excess. He insisted on lining up all legislative candidates for and against the lispensary. The governor cannot make the law and they say the governor does not enforce the law but whoever wAs elected would enforce the aw. It was notorious that there were :lgers in Charleston, with liquors, flx:ures and all. Then he held his hand primary, which was almost unanimous for the dispensary, of those voting. He begged all voters to come out in November and not be content with i-oting in the primaries. Col. Knox Livingston spoke briefly, iefining his position. Campagi Party atNewb;rry The campaign meeting at Newberry was well attended, the order was good, md at times a good deal of enthusiasm ras manifested? Walt Whitman was >ut of the race here, having gone home; 'or lack of funds. He. however, anlounced his purpose to remain in the ield as a candidr.e till the end. The ipeeches were much the same as at >ther points. Mr. Ellison Capers lauded McMahan jersonally, but attacked his adminisration, which he felt would not be mpported. He jumped on his conduct )f the summer school because of aleged overriding of county authoriies. Nimrod Berry wanted the candidates neasured by the standard of business tbility, integrity and sobriety and itoH hia Halms .T E. Pettiffrew vanted his character closely scrutilized and judged by his work and tandlng at home. He would not >romise things he could not accom>lish. Mr. J. H. Wharton avoided his jokes ind talked about discriminations, ates, stops and the like. Barnard B. Evans said rates were higher here :han elsewhere because of indiffernce >r subsidizing. W. D. Mayfleld wanted special atten:ion given to the development of manu* 'nfturinc pntprnrisps Hp was ODDOSed ;o the commissioners being paid by :he roads. W. D. Evans said there were six men lumping on one and he could not mswer them and make his speech in en minutes. When he went on the x>ard there was not a wholesale grower in Columbia; there are now five. !t was easy to make charges. Frank B. Gary went over with vigor he arguments heretofore made. He levoted a bit more time than usual to show that prohibition was not practical. He said thrt the whiskey people ind the high license are going to sup>ort Col. Hoyt because they expect to crush the life out of the dispensary, fte warned the Prohibitionists when :hey voted for prohibition they would ' ' " 1 I?1m KA lot get It. tie was nere wnimy uc ause the dispensary was not now en.'orced. The lax condition of affairs n Charleston and Columbia was .the reason he was running. A. Howard Patterson took up the ;harge that Gary tried to straddle on :he dispensary in Charleston and Georgetown. He again read extracts 'rom the reports of the Charleston and Georgetown meetings and said that Charleston wants the license system md that cold water would kill the Charlestonians. The Georgetown paler placed Gary in favor of local op:ion directly, he charged. He went >ver his usual figures as to Maine ana South Carolina. Then he jumped on :he J'rohibtion platform, written by 2oL I/jyt. He said that high license uen were advocating prohibition, in jvhich they did not believe. He paid lis respects to the six hundred tigers illeged to be in Charleston and the :wo hundred in Columbia. Col. James A. Hoyt said he was not -esponsible for the good things said >f him, but he was delighted at these expressions. He did not pose as beng better or holier than others, but ie would allow no reflections to be nade as to him. He warned the people to send members of the House xrho would bring the situation back to 1892 when the voters stood for prohibition. Until there is a fair and square election on the liquor question it will continue to come up. Too much power to establish dispensaries, he said is given to county boards. He wanted kthe dispensary wiped out and prohibition put on the books. The dispensary has good features, but they are not enforced. The dispensary is used for everything and would supply the tigers in order to increase the sale of liquor. The point In Givernor McSweeney's speech was his reply to Gary's charge that the constables have been made to work harder since the campaign begun. He said: The seizures for March were 444 1-4 gallons of whiskey and 119 1-2 dozen bottles ot beer; 120 gallons of beer in kegs; one team confiscated. Of this the United States government seized 114 1-2 gallons. In April the seizures were 795 gallons of whiskey; 122 bottles of beer, 190 gallons of beer in kegs; three stills confiscated. Of this the United States government seized 206 1-2 gallons. In May the seizures were 394 gallons of whiskey: 242 dozen bottles of beer; 240 gallods of beer in kegs; one team confiscated.' Two confiscated this month. The United States government took 97 1-4 gallons of the whiskey seized. In June the seizures were 446 gallons of beer in kegs; one team confiscated; two stills confiscated. The United States government.took of this 96 1-2 gallons of whiskey. The average number of gallons seised for each of the four months was 512. So it appears that June is a little below the average. The only instructions given the con stable are to do their duty and these instructions they have had during the time I have been governor. He never would build himself up on trying to pull down others. Col. Jamee H. Tillman joked about Col. Livingston and his platforms. He wanted to reiterate that he thoug.-t all negro schools ought to be closed. He would never vote for appropriations for colored college. He favored the dispensary. Mr. Winkler said his record was clear in voting for Pensions. Mr. Cole L. Blease argued that the preachers should talk for temperance, but keep out of politics. The whole fight of the Prohibitionists now was to kill the dispensary and that would bring high license. Senator Tillman discussed the evil of personal gain in any other than the dispensary system. He said his nose was red but he had never drunk a barrel in all his fifty-three years. As to himself, he did not care, but he had sons and neighbors' son3 and wanted them saved. The Prohibitionists have half a loaf now. and it i9 good and sweet, but they want all or none. Then he alluded to the free liquor and prohibition period, while the law was suffering from the interregnum. That was such prohibition as will come. He wanted to know why ministers would not recognize men as they were and not as they ought to be. There was something in the Bible against good men consorting with bad men. He supposed they wanted to crucify him. This is a free country and yet the ministers seem to be after him. One of them denounced him as a liar; a Bishop. Think of that, a Bishop, and simnlv foi expressing an opinion. The ' only quest ou is whether what he said was tru?, and that was the saloon people and Prohibitionists were allied in this fight. He then spoke of the danger of going hack on the dispensary and what has been gained by years of work. The primary system, he said, was going to break down, under the time limit and the poor attendance at the meetings. The people were putting themselves in control of the newspapers again. They were his friends. He warned the people for no good to himself but possible injury. He dis1 claimed any purpose of offending the ministers. He had no quarrel with the ministers, recognized their high tone and purposes, but he would talk out regardless of the ministers. Laurens Meeting?First Blood. I>aurens, Special.?The great educational campaign evoluted into a slug? a taK Kara It voc onmpwhat. | 61U6 m?v,vu uvi v. 4b ??ww the unexpected which happened. Prank B. Gary and A. Howard Patterson had a rough and tumble fight before a thousand Laurens people, men and women. They fought with desperation and determination until Jim Tillman and others separated them, and then they wanted to get back at each other. Had the incident occurred years ago m this county, when there were a cartload of pistols at a meeting, there would have been funerals here tomorrow; but these days all the fueling seems to be between the candidate. To-day the result was two badly bruised faces and emphasis ol the style of campaigning going on, and if others showed the same spirit there would be many more fisticuffs each day. HOW IT STARTED. From day to day Mr. Patterson hammered at Mr. Gary about h.is Charleston speech, reading the clippings and making the statements published. Mr. ^fMo naisilttnnt offnrt was Iuoa j IUUU^UV kutu |rw*H?Ww?v v?>? -- ?? to make it appear indirectly that he straddled in Charleston or favored a local option while lh Charleston, with a license feature which he insisted was not the case, and that Patterson 3 effort by reading extracts was to place him in a false position as to what he had said and his announced attitude on the liquor question. As persistently aa Mr. Patterson would make his statements Just so persistently would Mr. Gary insist that his position in Charleston, as elsewhere, was plain and unequivocal and not intended to be nor was It misleading. Mr. Patterson was sitting about five feet behind where Mr. Gary was speaking and got up and said: "Mr. Gary. I want to explain something." Mr. Gary turned squarely around an<| said: "Now, Mr. Patterson. I want to ask you plainly?is what 1 have said about that Charleston matter true?" Mr. Patterson said he would explain. Mr. Gary replied there was no use to i-i?. v.:.. Uolc^oH nn Irnnu'ine 6XpiSlA l/Ut luaiowu VM w whether what he had just said about the whole matter was true or not. Mr. Patterson went on to say the candidates would not agree with Mr. Gary, or something on that line. Mr. Patterson said he dared him to prove his statement by any of the candidates. Mr. Gary insisted on a direct reply as to whether his statement about the Charleston speech was true or not. By this time the two men were within arms length, looking fiercely at each other and no doubt looking for a blow. Mr. Patterson said, yes. he denied a# being correct what Mr. Gary had said. if he could not explain. Mr. Gary then said: "If you say my statement A ? ? ? ? ?We* I a lHAt cn gs not correct you a?.y n uai ? The two men joined, Patterson struck out and claims to have hit first. There was not a second's difference in the passage of blows. . .r. Patterson struck Gary an underhanded lick under the left eye, which cut the skin for half an inch long. . Gary hit Patterson on the mouth and cut the lip and struck him under the eye. Judging from the bruise. It was not a minute before half a dozen men I were around the two combatants, tbey ! were up against each other clinched and several blows were passed, but they were pulled apart. Gary was taken toward the front of the etand and Patterson to the back. They said nothing but were eager, an^l the watching crowds pressed up to the stand. Some yelled for one candidate and some for another. Two policemen. Sheriff McCravey, SenatorTillman and Chairman Smith moved for every one to get back and sit down and get off the stand. By this time the candidates had mopped off their faces and wiped the blood off. for blood flowed from both of their bruises. When quiet was restored Mr. uary faced the audience, somewhat dis? hoveled and bruised, and quivering all over and with clinched hand, and spoke out and said when he left home he decided he would be a gentleman and give no possible offense to anyone and in turn he would not take any insult from anyone. He had tfeated Mr. Patterson as a gentleman and friend, but he had gone too far. and he would t allow no man to insult him without I hittiJig him in the mouth, j Mr. Gary apologized with feeling and almost tears for having fought before ladies, and expressed his deep regret at the incident, then he went on and pnnrhided his sneech, cutting it here and there. A Mr. Patterson was allowed to mal? a statement and said he was ver^ sorry for the occurrence. He did not like such things. He and Mr. Gary had been warm friends and he had been a staunch friend of the family, but whenever a man told him he lied he tried to put his fist in his mouth and give him the best he had in his shop. When the two combatants had taken their seat a DOlice officer, who looks like the pictures of Mr. Dinkelspiel, good natured. held out his hand and said it would cost each of the combatants $5 or they would have to go before mayor's court. Mr. Gary paid his $5 and then Mr. Patterson, when asked, handed over his $5. The officer, when asked about the matter, said it always cost that amount for a fight in the town, but the combatants could go to court, if I they wanted to, and they might get back their money, but they had only one rule. Mr. Patterson and Mr. Gary left the stand soon after the speech of Mr. Gary. By a strange coincidence they both were guests at one home, but they are now at different homes. *" n.f r>Y*.r\, nf i nrougu iue cuvm ? v?v. n v> ' Cohrt Bolt, Mr. Patterson and Mr. Gary met, shook hands and agreed to be friends and comrades to each other as when they entered Lauren*. Of course neither of the contestants was hurt to any extent. After the scrap it was uphill work for all until Tillman was presented, and he was received with enthusiasm. He whooped things up and had the boys hurrahing. Tillman was happy and so d%d everyone else seem to be, and he remarked that there was nothing much In the talk of 600 tigers in Charleston and 200 in Columbia, and he pat no faith in this talk and commented on the evidence* of their being no tiger* about Laurens, and that there were not near as many tigers as some tried to make out. The crowd was quite large and in the very best of humors. The mAAtinc was held in Irbv erove. which is 'in the suburbs of Laurens. Capt. Jennings spoke of his war record and how he has worked to make his living and raised his 14 children without asking the aid of any one. He showed his Independence and why be wanted the office solely on his qualifl- cations. He spoke of his service since I the war. State Treasurer Timmerman said his opponent could not plead length of term against him, for Capt. Jennings had held office for 14 years. The only reason his opponent gave against his election was because he had been elected bank president, an evidence of the good will and confidence in him. He spoke of his war record and that of