Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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fore, i belli i i know the condition Of the people and if I am elected QOTSfnOf l pi mise you that 1 Will do everything in my power to Im? prove th.- 111 ii condition of the State, do everything I can to better every line of business. My success as I business mar is before the public and If I am eleeted Governor 1 will apply business methods to build up a successful business State govern? ment. Thomas G. Mel/cod. My conception of a political cam? paign as provided under the constl t itlon of the Democratic party Is. that In Its Influence at least. It shall be educational. That these questions are to be discussed In order that any views a candidate may have may be heard by the people. These are not necessarily limited to Issues, but all of those things which tend to the development of the country and Hi citizenship come within the ggon* of the discussion. I shall take it for granted that this Is what is Intended, and the speech which I make today ?hall be along the line of questions which should claim the attention of our people for the better development of our material resources, and for the development and Instruction of our citizenship. Naturally, the first ques? tion which sugests itself if that of education. We are living in a time when education Is Indeed a vital question wph all of our people. By eduction 1 do not mean in its old and antiquated sense, which limited it to a few, but I mean in its broad? er and modern acceptance which en? ters Into the life and the life work of all to broaden, brighten and enlarge. In the fo?mer or earlier days of our history, instltutlohs for higher edu? cation were established. There can tiot be any question but what they did great and noble work. If we are allowed, in the light of subsequent history, to criticise our predecessors. It would be to say that they failed to establish a proper basic foundation for our educational system, thus, we have had to deal with a top-heavy educational system. I wish it under? stood that I am in favor of higher education in a liberal, but p?t extrav? agant spirit, and the maintainance, * l11 Hint tang of ; ast when arugment I v- are lm as great centers from which educational influ? ences come. They are Imporant as places of preparation for teachers ami Indeed for men In all vocations of life. Public Schools. The last ten years has witnessed marvelous development In our pub? lic school system. It Is with pleasure I state that I was among the first to favor the direct appropriation by the State government to public schools. Not so much for the amount of money they should receive, but for the reason that It would be the en? tering wedge and recognition on the part of the State that the public schools were the basis of our edu? cational system. The particular mas ure to which I allude did not pass, but It was the entering wedge follow? ed by the enactment of the high school bill whereby high schools were established all over our State. Con? sequently also, the State has goto further and mew makes direct appro? priation whereby the terms of schools too poor to employ teachers are pro? longed. Every boy and girl In South Carolina I SJUHM K'> 10 college, and the time will asest COSM SfhSS this will be the case. Every boy and girl In South Carolina (I mean every white bov and girl) have the right and phonM have access to the advan? tages of a high school education. Not onlv in the movement of education, which has so happily prospered in our State, have boys and girls been educated, but on every side one sees that the spirit of education is abroad In the land. It has seized even those who are unfortunately Unlettered and unlearned, and they receive Its bene flrst gladly. The man who goes forth with a message of advanced Ideas In any vocation In life now finds ready listeners. Particularly has this Influ? ence been felt on the agriculture of our State, and any man now who has advanced Ideas, new methods of cultivation, of plowing, of growing ?Tops In any manner, finds ready list? eners eager to learn the secret where? by the riches held In store by mother earth are ready |0 be delivered upon the open sesame of nn Intelligent touch. There should be no backward movement. At all times I stand for the encouragement and building up ?l <>ur public schooli to the highest point of efficiency, i believe the time has eome when agriculture should be taught in the high schools together with industrial training. While the hoy is at home in touch with nature Is a good time t<? be taught at least the elementary principle! of the great science of agriculture, thus implant? ing at an early age such a love of this greatest of vocations which would make him return after finishing college, if so fortunate as to pursue his OOttrsC to the end, and hence valuable citizenship will be retained. Time toes not suffice now, but I pro? pose later on to develop this Idea to a greater extent, and I trust that 1 may be able to offer to the people some valuable suggestions along this line. Good Roads. Another great educating influenc e Is that of good roads. The Roman Fmpire showed Its wisdonm and fore? sight in building everywhere magnifi? cent highways which throughout a lapse of centuries have stood the wear and tear of time. In this day of rapid transit the people are ready to demand it. The labor saved, the time saved, the Increased pleasur- In traveling, and opportunity it offers of bringing together In business and social relations people who live at a distance, indeed makes good roads not the least factors In the education? al as well as the material deevlop ment of a country. Taxation. Every recognized form of govern? ment must be supported by some method of taxation. This tax should never be burdensome. I favor at all times an economical administration of public affairs. I do not see at this time where any radical change in our system of levying and collecting taxes can be made. There is, ho.v ever, a lack of equality. People own? ing sometimes the very same class of land in the very same neighbor? hood are assessed differently. Carry? ing this further, one county in the State, according to assessment, does not bear the same proportion of the expense of government as another county. This Inequality should be re? moved. The controlling principle of taxation is equality upon all the people, and 1 am In favor of equaliz? ing the burden of taxes as herein? before suggested. The people who now pay taxes In my opinion pay enough. There Is no use, and 1 have no desire to place additional burdens upon them, but there are a class of people who avoid taxes, com? monly known as "tax dodgers." These should be brought Into the fold and made to bear their Just part of the burden. Liquor Question. It is unfortunate that this question seems still to be an issue. I do not propose to go into a great extensive argument about It. My own posi? tion is the result of conscientious views. I am in favor of local option Tne Democratic right of each county to decide whether It shall have legal? ized sale of liquor or whether It shall have prohibition. I believe the ex? perience, not only of this State, but Of others, justifies the statement that prohibition can only be a success where there Is sentiment behind it. A sentiment which expresses itself at the ballot box and must maintain Itself after liquor has been voted out. Without this sentiment It will be a failure, TO abandon local option, un? it r which we are now working, and go to State-wide prohibition, would be a reflection upon the counties that have assumed the responsibilities of its enforcement. Human nature* Is so (??instituted that it does not assume responsibilities than can be shifted on some one else. As a matter of fact, I do not believe we have the right to say to others, where the sentiment does not prevail, that they too shall have prohibition because it suits us. It Is a great question. One on which honest men can honestly differ. The experience of Alabama shows that In abandoning local option for State-wide prohibition, an error eras made whic h is likely to result in great harm to the cause of prohibit? ion. People should not be mislead, it might he good campaign material end i good thing to get Into office on. but it will not be In my Judgment for the best Interest of the state to en o t a State-wide prohibition law. 1 am in favor of maintaining our pres? ent status of affairs, and l sm op? posed to any legislation upon the sub? ject only Insofar as it may be neces? sary of perfect existing laws. The office cif governor is eg SCUtlve and not legislative. If elected to this office it shall be my duty and policy to enforce all laws now upon the statute books, or which may be hereafter en? acted. Old Soldiers. It goes without saying that I am in favor of the most liberal appro? priation for the maintenance of and support of needy Confederate Soldiers. The most priceless heritage that I have Is that my father was one of those who offered his all upon the alter of his country, and for four years faithfully followed the fortunes of the Confederacy. The sacrifices made by the gallant men and heroic women of that period are so tremen? dous when compared with the small sacrifice we are called upon to make, the payment of a few cents or a few dollars, that it is not necessary to appeal to the manhood or woman? hood of this State for the Justification of this appropriation. Let us do all in our power for them. Let us do for them all that we can, and thus in some small measure at least, smooth out the rest of the rugged pathway which lies between these old heroes and their grave. Personal Record. For ten years I have devoted my sell, my time and my talents to the service of the people of South Caro? lina. I was first elected a member of the House from Sumter county, h iving served there two years. Up? on the establishment of Lee county, I was chosen State Senator. Four years ago the people of South Caro? lina elected me Lieutenant-Governor, and I have since served in that office. My private and my public record are alike before you. I am willing to stand and be judged by both. If the service which I have rendered was characterized by ability and intelli? gence and fidelity to duty, I ask of you and at your hands promotion to the highest office within your gift, pledging you that if elected I shall do everything In my power to pro? mote the happiness and prosperity of our State. John G. Richards. Mr. Chairman, Laides and Fellow Democrats: The rules of the Democratic party of this State are such, that when a man becomes a candidate for any position within the gift of the people, h*? is required to go before the people and discuss the questions at issue and demonstrate his fitness for the posi? tion to which he aspires. In obeyance to this righteous re? quirement of our party, I stand be foif you today. I am here fellow citizens for the greatest office within your gift, that of Governor of South Carolina. I realize fully the great responsibility which I assume, in be? coming a candidate for this exhalted position. I realize that the great dig? nity and honor of the position has been magnified even by the character and type of men that you have chosen to fill this position In years gone by. Hut I come before you, conscious of a deep and sincere love for our great State in all her varied interests. I come feeling that I am familiar with her needs, and knowing that there Is an all wise Providence who not only shapes and controls the destinies of men, but the destinies of States and Nations, I therefore, feel en? couraged to ask you for your suffrages and that you elect me chief magis? trate of your State . It Is well known to us all th:-t there arc three co-ordinate branches of our State Government, separate and des tinet the one from the other. There are the Legislative, Judicial and Ad? ministrative Departments. I have had twelve years experience in the Legis? lative Department, and It is upon the record made, and the experience ob? tained while your servant in that ca? pacity that I am standing today. It is upon my record both public and private that I am asking you to judge me, fellow citizens, and upon this I am willing to stand or fall. I come to you from the proud, the great County of Kershaw, and while I am a stranger to many of you, I come asking your suffrages, strengthened and encouraged by the fact that the people of that County, the County of Kershaw, Chestnut and Kennedy have given me their unanimous endorse? ment, and join with me In asking the people of South Carolina to elect rne < io\ ernor. I come before you fellow citizens with the proud1 distinction of never having been defeated by the people of my county for any position al? though 1 have been In public life for tw.nty years. For eight years 1 fill? ed minor offices, but the past twelve years has been spent in your Legis lature and it is upon my record there that I expect principally to he judged. Public office is a public trust, and public men are judged and should be judged by the manner in which they regard this trust. In every county of South Carolina there are gentle? men who have served with me in the Legislature. These men are repre? sentative citizens, and are in a posit? ion to state to the people of their several counties whether or not I have measured up to the standard of \ the true South Carolinian, whether or not I have regarded public offices as a public trust, and whether or not I have worked and voted for the pro? motion of our State's best interest. I am willing to stand or fall upon the answer made to these questions by those who know me, and are familiar with my record. While I do not like to refer to my own record I feel that the circum? stances are such that I may do so with propriety. I therefore desire to call your attention to some of the Legislation wdth which I have been identified, and some of the bills which I have fostered. I was one of the joint authors of the State wdde pro? hibition bills of 1909 and 1910. I am the author of the law providing funds for the erection of new and commo? dious school buildings in the rural districts; I am the author of the law providing a new dormitory and model school building at Winthrop, and pro? viding free scholarships for poor girls at that Institution .1 am the author of the amendment to the free scholar? ship law at Clemson, giving prefer? ence to boys who will make agricul? ture their life work. I worked and voted for the creation of the two free scholarships for boys from the cot? ton mills of the State and for free tuition for all of them. I am one of a committee who drafted and passed the r.ew labor contract law. I in? troduced and assisted in passing the bill for the reorganization of the National Guard of the State. I am the author of the bill repealing the agricultural lien law, and I am the author of the law erecting a monu? ment to the women of the Confed? eracy. These, fellow citizens, are some of the measures for which I have stood and is some of the work that I have done for my State and people. During my twelve years in the Legislature I have served upon some of the mr?st important committees of the House, and I feel that I am familiar with our government in Its various Departments, and am pre? pared to give the people of the State useful and Intelligent service. I have served as chairman of several of the most important committees, among them the Ways and Means Committ? ee. This cc Timittee recommends ap? propriations and requires familiarity with the financial conditions of the government. Fellow citizens, there are many important questions before our peo? ple today for consideration and I de? sire to discuss some of them w ith you, that you may know my position upon them. In the limited time which we have at our disposal it is impos? sible for the candidate to discuss these matters fully and with the intelligence that their importance demands. We are given sufficient time, however, to state our position upon them, and enable you to cast your votes Intelli? gently. Whiskey. ( I regret, fellow citizens, that the whiskey question is to be considered at all in this campaign. It has been the disturbing element in our politics for the past twenty years and until the people of ihe State are sick and tired of it. While itB importance can? not be questioned, there are other j questions of equal importance and they are many. I propose to state my position briefly upon this quest? ion, and then pass on to other and mightier subjects. I am a prohibitionist from prac? tice and principle. I believe that the next Legislature should enact a State- vide prohibition law, and if 1 I am elected Governor of the State, I promise to enforce the law without fear or favor and to the very best of my ability. I have always been a prohibitionist but advocated the state I dispensary as the method of control best calculated to effectually destroy the old bar system, and prepare our people for state-wide prohibition. I voted for the Brlce act giving the right to a county to vote and de? clare itself as betwen prohibition and the State dispensary. I have always opposed the county dispensary sys? tem, because 1 believed It to be a relic of the old bar system, and a[ far mure dangerous system than the State dispensary. 1 have declared in every public and printed utterance that I have made that when the time was ripe and sentiment was sufficient? ly strong to enforce prohibition, that 1 would vote to overthrow the State dispensary and declare for State? wide prohibition. I have kept that promise and wish the overthrow of the State dispensary. I have worked and voted for prohibition both in the Legislature and in my private ca? pacity since. I have been unanimously elected by the prohibitionists of the Legislature at the past three sessions to lead the tight for them, and did so with all the ability and earnest? ness at my command. I was one of the joint authors of the State-wide I law at the sessions of 1909 and 1910. and we succeeded in passing the bill through the House, but the Senate killed it and gave us a compromise bill with reversed local option and is responsible for the conditions ex? isting in this State today. Six coun? ties are selling liquor under that law, and are nullifying the will of the great majority who have declared against the sale. This is undemocratic and Is wrong. These six counties are sell? ing at the rate of $2,000,000 worth of liquors a year while th cwenty odd counties only sold $4,000,000 worth last year. Good democracy is majority rule. An overwhelming ma? jority of our people have declared against the sale of liquor. They have decdared that it is inimical to the cause of righteousness to- engage in the sale of liquor. If it is wrong to sell liquor in Spa^tanburg and Union It Is wrong to sell liquor In George? town and Beaufort. If prohibition is for the best interests of the people of Cherokee and York, it is for the best interests of the citizens of Charleston and Richland. A majority of the peo? ple of South Carolina are in favor of a State-wide law, so we should have it. Let us give prohibition a fair trial, and I venture the assertion that our people will never return to the sale of liquor in any manner, shape or form. * Fellow citizens: The whiskey issue is clear cut and unmistakable. Local I option as between county dispensaries and prohibition or prohibition for I our entire State. While I am uncompromising in my advocacy of p? ^hibl I tlon for South Carolina, if elected J Governor I will not veto a local op? tion bill should the Legislature pass it. I think It proper for me to take the position, for this question Is an Issue before our people, and their voice should be supreme. I believe in the rule of the people, and when they have spoken upon a given quest I ion it is treachery upon the part of I their representatives not to heed their will as expressed at the ballot box. But I w Ish to reiterate that I think the next Legislature should pass a State-wide prohibition bill, and I promise if I am your Governor that I will sign the bill, and enforce the law w Ith firmness and to the best of my ability. m ffJRMS Education. " The education of the boys and girls of South Carolina, and the driving j out of the illiteracy among our peo? ple Is one of the most important I questions with which we have to deal. My record upon this question I is an open book before you. I have always stood, and stand today, for the fullest and freest development of I all our educational interests. I ad 1 vocate equitable and all necessary support for our higher educational institutions. Our colleges are not only giving the literary and indus? trial training necessary for a well rounded life, but they are training the teachers for our public schools. They are preparing native South Carolinians, both men and women, to till the Important positions in our schools. They are giving us native talent for the training of our boys and girls, and every true South Caro? linian expects our colleges to be prop? erly supported. All of our boys and girls cannot enjoy the blessings of a collegiate education. The great majority can only expect such training and advantages as our public schools furnish. Therefore I stand for the fullest and most unstinted support for our common school system, with par? ticular attention to the development of our rural schools and rural edu I cation. Our common sc hool system is the vitalizing force that supplies our colleges; common school educa? tion is the very foundation upon which our Republican institutions are resting. It is the very strength of our government. The state cannot claim to have paid the great debt it owes