The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-02-21
THE POLITICAL OUTLOOK.
Governor Thompson Sure of Reelection =
Three Democratic Congressional Districts
to be Contested.

Governor Thompson Sure of Reelection
Three Democratic Congressional Districts
to be Contested.
COLUMBIA, February lit is very
early in the political year, but already
the chances of the candidates for the
Democratic nominations for State offices
and for Congress are under discussion,
and there is in the field goodly array of
Carolinians who will consent to serve
the State and their country if they are
required to do so. In other words, in
the political parlance of the day, "They
are in the hands of their friends"
The probabilities are that there will be
no opposition whatever to the renomina-
ton of Governor Thompson. A number
of articles on the subject have appeared
in the county newspapers, but nowhere
has there been any suggestion of oppos.
ing the renomiuation of the present Gov
ernor, who has given general satisfaction
by the courtesy, intelligence and the un-
wavering fidelity with which he has
discharged the duties of his important
Office. It had been hinted that Governor
Thompson might become candidate for
Congress this year, but there is the best
authority for saying that under no cir
cumstances will he accept the nomination
for Congress, and that be will consider it
high honor if he shall be renominated
and reelected as Governor.
There will be considerable stir ia three
of the Democratic Congressional Districts
this summer. It is no secret that Con-
gresham John H. Evins, of the Fourth
District, is in bad health, and he will not
be q candidate for re. election. The State
has no better representative in Congress
than Col. Eyins, and his inability to serve
the State any longer will be serious
public loss. There is no doubt that he
has won the respect and confidence of
both political parties as an able and
hard working member of Congress. He
is now serving his fourth term and would
probably have been recominated if he
could have been candidate. There are
several candidates in prospect. Richland
has ex.Attorney General l.. w. Youmans
aud Col. VIM. Wallace. Fairfield is
expected to put forward the name of Col.
T. w. Woodward, but that joyial and
unrecpnstructed gentleman declares that
he will not be candidate again. Green
Vile will have two candidates, Mr.. James
l.. Orr and Col. w. II. Perry, the eldest
son of Ex-Governor B. F. Perry. Spar
tauburg will probably enter as candi.
date Col. D. r, Duncan, now the Circuit
solicitor, and who was the man who, as
president of the company, carried the
Spartanburg and Asheville Railroad
across the Blue Ridge. Union, like
Spartanburg, will have but one candidate,
and he will be Col. I. G. McKissick.
There is plenty of room for speculation
as to.the chances of the several gentle
men spoken of, but not more than three
of them are expected to develop any
considerable strength.
The present representative OF the
Third District is COL D. Wyatt Aiken,
who is serving his fourth term, and is o
candidate for denomination. There IS
not much likelihood that he will be op-
posed in his own county, though it has
been hiuted that there may be aspirants
there. Newberry will have a candidate
in the person of the Hon. George John.
stone, who is chairman of the committee
of ways aud means of the House OF
Representatives of the State. Oconee
and Pickens have suggested no candidates
so far. 1t is reported that Anderson will
put in the field Mr.. E. B. Murray, the
editor of the ANDERSON INTELL1GENcER
and one of the most active members OF
the House of Representatives.
The Second District is now represented
by George D. Tillman, of Edgefeld, and
his denomination will not be opposed, 1t
is thought, in his own county. There
may be opposition to him in Hampton
and.Barnwell, as we'll as in Aiken. In
Baruwell State Senator Lartigue is talked
of as probable candidate, and from
Aiken two gentlemen of merit are nam
ed-State Senator d. S. Henderson and
Representative G. w. Croft.
The Fifth and Sixth District are rep:
resented by MessAs. John J. Hemphill
and George w. Dargan respectively.
These gentlemen are now serving their
first term, having been elected in 1882,
under the Act re-districtiDg the State.
They have given satisfaction to their
constituents, and will be renominated
without opposition.
In the affairs of the Seventh, or Black
District, the Democrats do not take
much interests. The general opinion is
that Robert Smalls, the convicted bribe-
taker. will be nominated without much
difficulty, but this is by-no means the
fact. There is strong opposition TO
Smalls because of his bad public charac'
ter, and a serious effort will be made to
secure the nomination for State Senator
Bruce Williams, of Georgetown. VII.
liams is colored man of respectability
and capacity, and is incomparably supe.
rior in every way to Smalls. 1t is not
improbable that there will be several
candidates before the Republican Con-
gressional Convention, but the race al
present i, between Williams and Smalls,
with the chances in favor of Williams.
Tie candidates who are on the edge are
ex.SpeakerSamuel J. Lee, Of Charleston,
mot Sam Lee, of Sumter,) W. e..
Ahrens, of Summerville. and j. W. Coll.
ins, of Beaufort. There is no talk of
nominating Democratic candidate in
the district, and the Republicans will
be allowed to fight it out in their own
waV