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I I J 9 Candidates For Governor. Their Platforms as Outlined in Their Speeches at First Meeting of the Campaign. Arguments Advanced by Aspirants for Gu? bernatorial Honors Why the People Should Give Them Their Suffrage?All Candidates Have Substantially the Same Platform, Save as to the Liquor Issue. Cole Mm Mease. Mr. Chairman, Laldes and Gentle? men, South Carolinians: Two years ago when 1 appeared before you as a candidate tor the of? fice of governor, I was Introduced to you as Senator Blease. This morn? ing your chairman introduced me as Mayor Blease. of Newberry. Two years ago I represented Newberry county in the State senate. At the close of that year I voluntarily retir? ed from that, position, and last De? cember I was elected mayor of th? city of Newoerry, where I was born and v. here I have lived all my life. So it Is with pleasure that I can to? day repeat the boast which I made in the last campaign, viz., that the peo? ple of my home town and county have never refused to elect me to any office that I have asked them for. I have been town attorney and am now mayor, and have represented the county In the house of representa? tives and In the State senate. 1 have been elected to nearly every State convent' ?n since 1890, when I began my service in the house of represen? tatives, and am now serving my four? teenth year on the State Democratic executive committee. In the race for governor two years ago I received a majority of the votes in the town of Newberry and In the county of New bery, and in the surrounding coun? ties of I^aurens, Saluda and Union, and In that section of Lexington ad? jacent to my home county Where th<? people know me best 1 received my largest vote, and of that I am proud. As to my success in my pro? fession, the records In the office of the clerk of the court at.Newbcry will show that my name appears as attorney In nearly all of the important criminal and civil cases of the county. T have served the State as speaker pro tern, of the house, and as presi? dential elector twice, and as a mem? ber of the State hoard of canvassers for four years, and I beg to refer you to those with whom I have served and those whom I have served to the manner in which 1 filled these positions and discharged the duties thereof. We are told today that conditions In South Carolina demand a sound and economical, but not penurious business administration, and it Is true. The financial question Is the greatest Issue whl< h confronts our I.pie A rel who as it that first called attention to our financial con? dition? Blease did it on the floor of the senate, and worked for a more economl al government, and begged the senators to reduce appropria? tions, not t-> create useless offices snd to stop burdening the people with taxation. In l!tOi; and 1908 I went on the stump till over this State and begged the peoiplc to pay more attention to their financial affairs, arid did all In my power to make the financial condition of our State the principal Issue In both those cam? paigns. But the politicians and eaf> tile newspapers wanted to keep con? cealed the true conditions, so they hollered "liquor, liquor." and bid th<* facts, as far as possible, from the vot? ers Now, since they can not keep these conditions hid any longer, some of them nro yelling. "f,ct liquor alone, and let's have a business campaign." All right, that Is what I have been i gglng for, for years, and I am glad to see that the peoplo have at last waked up to find that I was right, and that they are now demanding what I have keen trying to get for years?a more economl* ?i form of government, Two years ago I exposed the immi I gration law so completely that the legislature was forced to repeal the act and abolish the immigration bu? reau. Had it not been for my fight that abomination would still be with us. I fought for the inspection of our mills as to health and as to working children under the prohibited age and not within the legal hours, and the legislature has made provision for this. I fought for night schools for chil? dren who could not attend day schools, and succeeded in getting a law passed upon that subject. I fought the effort which was made to keep thousands of our white peo? ple from voting In the primary, and in the State convention I succeeded in getting the committee to report un? favorably upon the resolution, and on the floor of the convention I again fought it, and the convention refused to pass the resolution, and all white men in South Carolina are yet free. My platform today is as follows: 1. An honest administration of all laws, fairly and impartially, to all citizens alike. I, Enforcing all laws upon all iub ieets. and obedience to the constitu? tion of the United States and of South Carolina. 3. Trial by jury for all persons See used of crime, and enforcing the ludgment of courts founded upon 'he verdicts of the juries. 4. Keeping forever separate the leg? islative, Judlclsl and executive de? partments of the government, each, however, doing its duty and endeav? oring to uphold and support the oth? er. Upon this i respectfully present the following issues for the consid? eration of rny fellow-Democrats to whom I address myself: (a) I am In favor of biennial ses? sions of the general assembly. (b) T am In favor of liberal appro? priations for our Confederate veter? ans. (c) 1 am in favor of liberal, but not extravagant appropriations for our State institutions of learning, so that all of them may be kept upon a "nigh standard. (d) 1 am in favor of building up the frec-s< hooi system so that every white child in South Carolina may be given a good, common school educa? tion In comfortable and convenient school houses, and in paying teachers ?Ulllclont salaries to secure the lust. I am absolutely opposed to compul? sory education, gs my record in both the bouse and the s. ri tte in the past will show. "In my opinion, compulsory educa? tion at the hands of the State means disrupting the home, for it dethrones the authority of the parents and places the paid agents of the State in control of the children, and destroys family government. Those agents stau I betwen the child and the par? ent. They represent the State. They are not responsible to the parents They Impress upon the minds of th" children the views of the State, and Virtually say, MWe have taken you out Of bondage and made you free, WO are giving you what your unnat? ural parents would not give you?and no child on earth can be subject to sin h Influences ami teaching and escape Imbibing the spirit of rebellion against parental authority, and con? sequent disrespect and Ingratitude. Children are too easily Infected with the IdSS that their parents owe them everything, while they owe them nothing In return, and with the de? sign and law of God set at defiance, I who t an compete, by the w idest j stretches of the most gigantic mind, I the condition that will follow? We lit sire to sec the standard of educa? tion raised in South Carolina; we want every hoy and girl in the State to have every possible opportunity to gain for themselves the very best and highest degree of equipment for life, but we do not want it at the cost of parental authority and the peace of the home. Family government and parental responsibility antedate all others, and it is possible for wild, ex? travagant and madly enthusiastic men, who see theory and theory on? ly, to destroy family government, alienate children from their parents, and force the home into a sense of strife, rebellion and wretchedness." The Bible says a great deal about obedience to parents and reverence for parents, and, believing in that Book and its teachings as strongly as I do, I say to the parents, for the sake of their children, our country and for the future, keep within your own control the rearing and educa? tion of your own children, and strike down by your ballot every effort to deprive you of the same. Our people fight force bills in congress and they had better fight this one at home. (e) I am opposed to the higher edu? cation of the negro race, and in fav? or of the taxes paid by white people goin? to and being used only for the education of white children. (O I am in favor of a strict en tor rnent of the vagrancy laws. (g) I am in favor of a law requlr li ?ither a marriage certificate or registration of all, marriages in th >ttice of the clerk of the court of tr Bounty in which the marriage tal I place. (b) I am in favor of a flat rate of 2 1-2 cents per mile on railroads in this State, but am opposed to the rules now in force on the railroads as to mileage books and charging 15 cents excess. (i) I am in favor of good roads, good morals, and honost government. (j) As to the whiskey question, I am satisfied that the people of the State are tired of the agitation along this line. I favor local option, and, in order to be strictly Democratic and allow self-government and home rule, I favor extending the present law, so as to allow a county to have license, If the majority of her white citizens wish it, as other counties have dispensary or prohibition. How? ever, it' license is voted. I favor the most rigorous enforcement of the laws for the sale In this manner, pro? hibiting under any circumstances, any whiskey being sold in less quan? tities than one-half pint, or between sunset and sunup, and prohibit it from being drunk on the premlses.or be? ing sold, under any circumstances, to minors or inebriates, or behind clos? ed doors or screens, prohibiting any obscene pictures on the premises, or any blllard or pool rooms connected therewith, and providing that any person holding a license who shall violate any provision of the law Shall Immediately upon conviction, forfeit his license and be forever thereafter bar )d from being licensed, and in addition be imprisoned at hard labor in the State penitentiary without the alternative of a line. 1 am absolute? ly opposed to the old bar-room system and would under no circumstances sign a bill to reinstate that system. tk) I am opposed to any law re? stricting the rights of Democrats to \ote |n the primary elections. other than is provided for in the rules adopted by the state convention, which provides as follows: "That no white man shall be excluded from participation in the Democratic pri? mary who shall take the pledge re? quired by the rules of the Democratic party. and whose name has been enrolled on the Democratic dub list five days before the primary elec? tion, and who is in otherwise qualified under the constitution and rules of the Demoractlc party to vote In the primary olectlon." The oath referred to Is as follows: "I do solemnly swear that T am duly qualified to \ote at this election according to the rules of the Democratic part.'.', and that T have not voted before at this election, and pledge myself to sup? port tho nominees Of this: primary." Knie 2 provides thai no person shall be permitted to vote unless he has been enrolled on a club list at least five days before the primary election, and unless he has been a resident of the ,-'ta?r one year, and of the county In which he seeks enrollment f.o days preceding the m xt general election. It Is, therefore, seen that the (dap trap, so-called argument that people art- allowed to vote In the primary elections who nave only been in the county for a few days or in the State for a short time is absolutely un? founded and unwarranted. because these provisions wM -h T have cited make it absolutely imperative that in order to vote in the primary one shall have been in the State one year and in the county 60 days preceding the general election, and this absolutely prevents any man from voting in the primary election who is what is com? monly called a floater. In my opin? ion, this is amply strong, and any law passed by the legislature further! abridging the right of suffrage in the primary would be vetoed by me im? mediately if I were governor. (1) I am in favor of running the government on a liberal, but not ex? travagant basis, (as is now being done) and in making our tax levy both county and State, as low as pos? sible for a safe and economical man? agement of our financial affairs; and of reducing expenses, abolishing use? less positions, stopping extravagant appropriations for any purpose, stop? ping the useless expenditure of money by officials, stopping the crea? tion of useless offices, and all other methods of reckless, careless or use? less expenditure of money that caus? es an increase In the tax levied up? on our people, for our taxes are too high, and our people are now too heavily burdened with taxation. I fully believe that the grandest most progressive, most perfect and most Independent form of govern? ment Is a poor government and a rich people. When you make a rloh gov? ernment, and thereby improverish the people, or make a poor people, you reverse Democracy and create dissat? isfaction and discontent among the people, who are the masters and not the servants, as some would have us think. For me, give me a poor gov? ernment and a rich people, in place of a rich government and a poor peo? ple for the more money that you give your legislature the control of, the more extravagant will be their appropriations and expenditures. Un? der our present management the idea seems to be to raise the tax levy high? er, making assessments higher, make more extravagant appropriations, and spend the people's money use? lessly, making both the people and the government poor, for the benefit of a few, who hold political positions and draw large salaries, and who are trying to create an aristocracy, not of blood, not of brains, but of money. Cm) I am in favor of the constitu? tional amendment to be voted upon In the general election providing for a fifth justice of the supreme court, and in favor of making the decision of the supreme court in any case the final disposition of that particular case in so far as the state courts are concerned, unless that court itself shall for good and sufficient legal reasons afterwards brought to Its attention change its decision. Trif? ling With the courts, as is now being done, should be stopped. And In or? der to bring this about I am in favor of such laws being passed as may be necessary, even if it require a con? stitutional an nnment. (n) 1 am In favor of all laws that will favor and protect labor in all its legitimate callings and endeavors, and such laws that will protect capi? tal in all its lawful investments, and the good old Democratic doctrine, "Equal rights to all and special priv? ileges to none" in each branch of the government and particularly in the enforcement of all laws. I have been advocating these principles for years in the house, in the senate and on the stump in my home county and throughout tlie State, and have stood squarely upon them out in the open and never waited to sec which would be the popular side before taking a stand. Even wh< n some of them were very unpopular and it seemed that any man who dared advocate them was doomed to political obli? vion T Stood by them and made the tight to keep them up and begged the people not to be deceived, but to hoar ma for my cause, ami now we see some who did not stand for them, or who, if they did. were afraid to ac? knowledge it. endeavoring to push me off my platform and yelling to the people that they and Betsey killed the bear and that they are the logical candidate. If there be a logical can? didate upon these principles or upon a financial platform for a more economical form of government, and tor reduction in appropriations and a business man's administration. 1 sub? mit to you, the people, that I am the man, standing upon my past record as candidate, legislator and citizen. 1 beg to call your attention to the fact that two years ago I received forty two thousand and one hundred votes for this position. From the information that I have received I am satisfied that I will be elected and if so, I promise you a fair and impartial administration of all the duties of the office and in so far as my power lies a reduction In ex? penses and an honest enforcement of whatever laws may now be upon your statute books, or may be placed there by the properly constituted au? thorities. John T. Duncan. The supreme task of the hour is to save society, your state, your na? tion from the hands of the despoil ers. Get together and build a rampart of moral standard, statute, inspec? tion, and publicity, to check the on? slaught of internal enemies. You have grown Into an organic society where the welfare of all is at the mercy of each. Common peril should hush petty discords, and at? tune differing men to harmonious ac? tion. Let us consider vice as those prac? tices that harm one's self; and sin, as conduct that harms another. Vice weakens and destroys the body and in the end its wage is death, while the sinner, unchecked by society makes his way upward towards the suinshine and approval. Vice drags down into darkness the individual, while the sinner, sleek is honored and envied. He is unpunished and unrepentant, yea, arrogant and dar? ing, to the shock of the righteous, disheartening the weak, and demoral? izing the young, who for a few years, at least, should cherish the ennob? ling illusions that the right always triumphs. The greatest sinners make of re? ligion a hollow mockery and with their money, make it a cloak to hide their sins, while they subsidize the community, the newspapers and the pulpit. Fourteen years ago I felt it my unavoidable duty to expose to you a Governor, who was then manning your State Dispensary for the pur? pose of robbery. Some did not be? lieve me then, but no sane man will now dispute the fact that the Dis? pensary has been robbed to a frazzle, and that infamy and degradation is abroad in the land, and our rublic offices, and courts reek \\ Ith rotten? ness. We now see our ?double degrada? tion in what set out to be an inves? tigation of the thieves by their friends, but they fall to robbing the robber, and in this is our opportunity, and this I will demonstrate when 1 am Governor. our fight in the race fourteen years ago. for cleansing our public institutions and incidentally ror a seat in the United States Senate was made with the faith in myself, that l was capable of serving you with <fedit to mys?df. and my people but you leard me not, and I have paid the penalty. I have never capitulating or made terms with the enemy, and I am to? day tit to serve you and better pre? pared. My college education and prac? tical every day experiences then, was no mean preparation, but I trust I have broadened with the years. That I was built on different lines, and stand head and shoulders above my competitors, I thank my God. that I can see farther, and know more to interest you, is but natural. While our friends pass out to you their stale canned goods of which I am sure you are sick T shall give you modern and approved food for thought. I am a reformer, and for this I owe no man an apology for I have proven to you the quality there? of. To the conservatives I say. that our good men have been kept apart by the villainies of The state as managed and manipulated by the sweet scented pair of Cuban extrac? tion. They have kept up blinds to hide the truth. I shall smash that blind. One of your citizens said, that Clark, Ji nes and (bur/ales Were Hot in p< litlcs and you can't get at them. While not condescending to hohl an (dine tiny have their ser? vants do this, while they are after greater things, and keep their hands into everything up to their armpits You good people too. have suffered and sorrowed bad. bu our average good citizens who were not able to withstand the temptations of our Capital City and fell. Mothers, sis