The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-10-15
STATE POLITICAL NEWS.

STATE POLITICAL NEWS.
There are persistent rumors
afoat that Senator 3. r. Till
man is going to take some ac'
tive part in the next campaign
in South Carolina. The most
plausible of these rumors, al
though confirmation is lacking
at the time, is that he is seeking
to induce A. F. Lever, congress
man from the seventh district to
enter the senatorial race against
Governor Blease and Senator E.
D. Smith. For sometime this
possibility has been mentioned.
It is almost definitely known
that Mr.. Lever has been ap'
preached upon the subject OF
entering the senatorial contest
from even as high a source as
the senior senator, but, except
for Mr.. Levers published state
ment some weeks ago. nothing
Is now known at this end as to
whether be is seriously himself
considering entering the tight.
Aside from Smith and Blease
the only other candidate whose
announcement is regarded as
practically positive, according
to published reports, is E. P.
McCravey, of Pickens, author
of the local option compulsory
education bill that was intro
duced by him and passed at the
last session of the general as
sembIy. but failed of passage on
being returned vetoed.
Along with the rumor as to
Tillman's wish for Mr.. Lever to
run for the senate is the rumor
that the senior senator has al.
ready picked his candidate in
the gubernatorial contest. It is
not known whether or not be
will make a fight for that posi-.
BILE candidate, in fact, much OF
the senator's plans as to the po-
lltical fight in the next cam,
paign are little short Of vague
rumors at this time. Some
folks are of the opinion that Sen
ator Tillman will profit by last
years experience SO far as the
gubernarorial contest is con
cerned.
Opinions differ widely as to a
third luan's chance in the sena'
torial contest. Most everyone
admits, however, that a third
man would get a large number
of votes, but all qualify the as
sertion by saying THAT depends
upon who the third man shall
be-"
Of course no one can forecast
what effect a third man or ad-
ditional candidates of Frank
Levers strong calibre would
have in the senatorial race.
Talks with hundreds of men
in politics have convinced the
writer that most of them would
not like to take the chance of
running for the senate and Civ
ing up what Mr.. Lever has in
Washington. They regard him
an important man in the house
and in his own district folks
would like to see him remain in
the house generally speaking.
There is no getting around the
fact that whether he won or
lost in the senatorial race, the
people of the statewould. know
that Lever was in the battle.
He is a fine campaigner,a good
stump speaker, and more over
has a splendid record III the
house. My only recollection of
an attackbeing made on him was
IN connection with his lumber
vote, I believe.
This would make battle roy
al; Cole l.. Blease. E. D. Smith,
A. F. Lever and W. F. Steven
son, the last mentioned having
been sometime ago brought out
as a probability in the senator
ial race. Should these four run
it would be a fiery race. Even
should no one else enter the con-
test it is highly probable things
will be interesting with Cover
nor Blease and Senator Smith
the main ones in the big fight
Mr.. McCravey is regarded a
strong man in his immediate Sec
ton in the Piedmont. but 10 be
a factor IN the tight be would
nave to gather strength in the
campaign, after it reached the
stump stage.
Chas. Carroll Sims, of Barn
we'll, is now regarded almost a
certainty in the gubernatorial
ace. Sometime ago it was an
+hot he uonld run and