The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-11-15
BlEASE.SMI1H-RICHiRDS.
NEW POLITICAL CABAL FORMED
TO RULE STATE.
Blease Men Seeing Handwriting OH
the Wall Are Trying to Hitch up
With two Candidates for Governor
Who Claim to- BE NOn-Partisan-
Both smith ana Richards to Work
for Blease.

ticle by w. p. Beard i'm the local after
noon paper is creating a stir in po.
litical circles SO much so that the Or
angeburg Times and Democrat, one of
the best known county newspapers in
the State, is calling for a denial or
affirmation Of the assertions made in
the article.
The Orangeburg paper sums up the
Beard article in the following para
graphs:
Mr.. Beard, who writes from Abb
bevi!le, says visitors to the State fair
bring back with them the rumor that
some kind OF coalition or agreement
was reached between Liuet. Gov.
Charles A. Smith and Hon. John G.
Richards and the Blease leaders at
tending the Blease conference. Ac-
cordins to Mr.. Beard this arrange
ment was made with these two can
didates by some of the strongest and
most prominent Of the leaders of the
Blease faction who fear that they
cannot win with a straightout Blease
man and are casting an anchor to
windward' for future contingencies.
Mr.. Beard goes on to say that ac-
cording to this rumor the agreement
was to the effect that both John G.
Richards and Charles A. Smith would
quietly work among their trusted
friends to gain support for Governor
Blease i'm his senatorial race and in
return for this, 1t is claimed, that
the Blease leaders will quietly in
fiuence their followers to vote for
these gentlemen for governor. Mr..
Beard does not assume responsibility
for the above dope but says it is what
he hears being talked by people who
had been on a visit to the State fair"
Other matters were touched in the
Beard article. as summed up by the
Orangeburg paper including a discus
sion of why Messrs. Richards and
Smith did not attend the Blease con-
ference. but the portion Of the Beard
article that Is really creating discus
sion is that with reference to the al
legged coalition.
Ii Is this phase of the matter that
leads the Times and Democrat to CALI
In an editorial, for some light on the
subject. 1t says 1t entertains the
kindliest feelings for both Lieut.. Gov
Smith and Mr.. Richards. but feels that
some OF the supporters OF both these
gentlemen are being driven from them
/ unless the staement given in the
Beard article "about them Is not true"
The Times and Democrat says
among other things:
Therefore we say to all candidates.
choose ye this day whom ye will
serve" and calls upon the candidates
to choose between Governor Blease
and the opposition.
The whole matter is of peculiar in .
terest at this time in view of the ap.
parent drift of the gubernatorial fight
toward sharp division.
The county newspapers have dis
cussed the Blease conference here
rather fully and some have comment
ed on the absence of John G. Rich
ards. who had been regarded in the
Biease ranks. as has been frequently
published. All the talk about Senator
Tillman having n candidate and that
candidate being John G. Richards has
further entangled the situation since
Tillman and Rlease are at logger
heads. Just how the whole proposit-
ion will work out no one knows.
Lieut.. Gov. Charles A. Smith has
not been regarded a factional candi-
date at all and. therefore, the re-
marks about him in the Beard article
are especially surprising. Mr.. Smith
Is expected to draw from all factions,
having friends on both sides.
One of the daily papers published
yesterday "a complimentary reference
to John Richards candidacy. This is
mentioned just to show how varied
are the opinions about the guberna-
torial contest that has become so in
volved. a paper OF power i'm this
state yesterday expressed semi-edi-
torially the opinion that John l.. Nc
Laurin might get back into the fight.
Today comes Tillman's attack again
on Bleaseism and 80 the battle RACES.
Through these last list OF stirring
political events Governor Blease has
had little to say. His confidence i'm be-
ing elected to the senate, however,
he has expressed i'm no mistakab,e
terms.
Right here i'm passing, ii might be
added, that II ever political battle