The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1913-11-21
CONGRESSMAN LEVER
NOT OUT FOR SENATE
AT Least, He States He Will Not
Compete Next Year.
MAY COME OUT LATER.
Thought That He May Seek Till
mans Seat When the Senior
Senator Retires.

Columbia Special to Charlotte OBJ
server. Nov. 19.-Asbury f. Lever,
congressman from the seventh South
Carolina district and chairman of the
house committee on agriculture, an
nounced today that he will not at this
time be q candidate for the United
States senate from South Carolina.
This means that Mr.. Lever will not
run next summer against Governor
Blease and Senator Ellison DuRant
Smith. That the congressman would
take this course and await a better
opportunity to run for the senate was
forecasted in the Columbia corres-
pondence of The Observer on sew
eral occasions.
In his brief statement given to the
public today, Mr.. Lever used the
words lat this time" which are taken
here to mean that he will seek Sena-
tor Humans seat in the senate when
the senior senator retires at the end
or his present term, in March, 1919,
or sooner If the Office is vacted soon
err Senator Tillman was elected for
six years in the primaries of 1912.
When he retires from public life he
will have served this state longer in
the senate than any other South Car
ol.nian, certainly since war times.
Only Butler approaches Tillman's rec
ord. Butler serving Is years Till
man, should he serve out his present
term, will have been in the senate "a
years.
A. F. Lever, who halls from Lex
ington county, is regarded one of the
most astute politicians in South Car
olina and he is the livest wire in his
district. He will stand for reelection
TO the national house of representa-
tives in the primaries next summer
and doubtless, will be unopposed for
the position. Most of the people here
think Mr.. Lever has just reached the
time in his house career where he
will be of benefit to the people of this
state and they want to see him re-
main in the house.
That Mr.. Lever consulted his
friends very frequently with regard
to the matter is shown by his state
ment. Fair week Mr. Lever was here
and 1t was stated at the time that he
was then getting a line on" the sit
uation. He conferred with numbers
OF his friends at that time and the
general advice given him was that
he remain in the house.
1t would now appear that the fight
next summer so far as the senator
ship is concerned will be between
Governor Blease and Senator II. ID.
Smith, unless some eleventh-hour
candidate should come forth.
There was also published a rumor
sometime ago, which was denied af-
terward, that Governor Blease and
Mr.. Lever had entered into some sort
of agreement about the senatorial
race. The intimation was that if
Lever should stay out of the race
now he would be helped later on in
his race. This understanding alleged
to have been made was subsequently
denied. Governor Blease, when in
Washington, was quoted as saying
that this was not the time for Lever
to run, or words to that effect, but
that time would come when Lever
could we'll serve his state in the
higher position.
Whatever the rumors and the real
causes, Mr.. Lever has decided not to
make the race for the senate.