The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-02-28
MONTHS OF POLITICS.
OUTLINE OF TIE MANY
EVENTS IN COLUMBIA.

The South Carolina political pot
of 1896 has now been hanging over
the fire for some time and its much
mixed contents are already begin
ming to simmer. BY early summer
it is going to be very difficult to keep
the lid on. For the past five years
a good stout ring has been there to
hold the lid down when it began to
look as if the contents were going to
boil over, and get out open to the
public gaze. The ring has now beer.
very much weakened, however, by
the heat of former boilings, and it
will not be able to keep things down.
Heretofore, too. the contents have
been cut and dried before they were
dumped into the pot. This will not
be the case this year.
The fact is that one of the most
interesting and unique campaigns
since '76 is about to open, and from
May till November there will be no
end of political happenings of a char,
ecter to interest many and amuse
others. There will be elements in
the campaign at the start of an en-
tirely new character and towards the
end the band wagon of the Repub-
lican corpse is scheduled to make it's
appearance in the arena driven by
Webster, Pope, Melton and Brayton,
OF course the overshadowing feat
ure of the early portion of the CAM
paign will be the fight between Evans
and Irby for the United States sem
atorship. Unless these two, between
whom there does not exist the most
brotherly of feelings. 80 back on
everything they have cried for during
the past six years, they will have to
stump the State. The chairman of
the Tillman State committee will have
those against him who have hereto.
fore been his friends. and the warmest
kind of campaign speeches will be
the order. 1t is said, too, that M. l..
Donaldson will be in this fight.
There has been some talk of call =
off the State campaign which usually
opens about June the /, but there
does not now seem to be any chance
Of that, for it is argued that one of
the leading demands of the Reform
movement was to have all candidates
stump the State. 1t is mooted that
Senator Irby, being candidate, will
not be permitted to retain the party
chairmanship. If the attempt to
oust him is made there will of course
be some interesting Developments.
1t will not be long now before the
committee will have to meet to make
the necessary preparations for the
May convention.
AS 30 the State campaign, there
seems to be no chance whatever of Il
Conservative candidate coming OUT
for governor. The Conservatives it
seems arc merely going to be onlook-
crs this year. 1t is pretty thorough
ly understood that the Tillman adj
ministration candidate for governor
is to be ex Comptroller General VIM.
III. Elcrbc of Marion. On all silcs
he is mentioned as the winning can
didatc for governor. Then there is
Senator Il. b. Watson. lie has not
yet announced his candidacy, but he
is regarded as most likely to be the
man to oppose MIR. Ellcrbc in the
primary. lie has strong following
and his friends arc now serious Y con-
sidcring putting him in the race.
They think he will prove far more
than match for Mr.. Ellerbe on the
stump. No other candidates for gov
ernor are now being mentioned.
state.