Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-03-17
WHO WILL BE WHO?
w. p. Beard Raises Questions as to the
Coming Lineup.

Coming Lineup.
The Greenville News of Sunday,
publishes the following from w. P.
Beard, which is evidently intended
to direct attention to the political sit
uation:
The leak in Tillman's pork barrel
having been stopped temporarily at
least, and because Of the business
session of the legislature real good old
fashioned political news has been diff
ficult to get hold Of lately. But things
are beginning to loosen up again now
and wise tongues are wagging. The
Hon. John Gary Evans has been very
much in evidence around the Hobbies
and committee rooms Of both houses
| in earnest conversation with friends
| of yore. The smile he wore, greatly en-
hanced by the bran new little white
goatee was noted and spoken Of by
old timers as reminding them very
pleasantly Of the care-free smile with
which the ex-governor used to greet
his friends when running for the
United States senate in '97, before
Curly y-headed Johnny" extracted the
glad ring from 1t by beating both
Evans and Irby in the first primary.
During one Of his visits the Spar
tanburg statesman caused consider
able comment by holding a long Sc
cret caucus with two gentlemen rep
resenting a down-state paper, includ-
ing August Kohn, that persistent
hacker Of political failures and an
other man who predicted 10000 ma
jority for Ira B. Jones. This confer
ence or talk fest was held in the lieu
| tenant governors office, but to just
| what extent Uncle Charley Smith"
was in on the subject and matters at
hand, Is still matter OF anxious
speculation.
An announcement, soon after, by
one of the gentlemen at the confer
ence, that the Spartanburg man
would perhaps be a candidate for the
senate caused the Honorable John
Duncan to prick up his ears, for 1t Is
a tradition now that Duncan will al
ways oppose Evans no matter what
Office may be in sight. When asked
the question whether or not he would
enter for the senate in case Mr..
Evans did, Mr.. Duncan only smiled
enigmatically and replied that he Is
still in the middle Of the road, on the
| job and this is a Duncan year"
Another curleycue twist given to
the senatorial prospectus is the hope
that springs eternal in the breast Of
l. the evervescent "Seaboard Bill" 1t
was supposed that the late asylum in
/ INeSllSdllOH "Ouiu 6lNC biC lihbitiOuo
product Of the Tarheel state his op-
portunity and a club with which to
drive Blease to cover. Alas for the
plans of mice and men. They over
] did 1t as usual and the reaction fol-
lowed quickly upon the heels Of the
governors audacious capture Of the
house Of representatives.
Still this is not saying that the
Hon. w. F. Stevenson will not be in
the race for the senate. 1t will be
recalled by many that John Gary
Evans, through the Manning resolu-
tion and subsequent backdown, hand
ed "Seaboard" the sour lemon and
the Spartanburg incident is still fresh
in the public mind. Mr.. Stevenson's
| friends do not hesitate to say that as
tute gentleman's memory is by no
means impaired either. In fact they
assert up in Chesterfield and the fifth
district that Stevenson has two rea-
sons for entering the senatorial race.
One is that he very much desires to
hand John Gary Evans the sour
lemon back in the original package
and the second is that he would rather
be defeated for the senate by Cole
Blease than for congress by Claude
Sapp.
| Anyway, ii looks as though Mr..
Stevenson would very likely be can
didate for the senate. 1t Is said that
the friends Of both Messrs. Evans and
| Stevenson have represented to Presi-
| dent Wilson that Senator Smith Is a
dead un" and is best to appoint him
to some nice lucrative foreign post
and allow these two gladiators to eat
up the much feared Coley. Just to
what extent these negotiations have
been carried I knoweth not. as ac-
cording to the later rumor, Senator
Smith who is an important factor him.
self in this proposition, had only been
approached by wireless--it being
thought a little hazardous to approach
him too "brash."
Rumors are ripe over the state as
to who will run for the senate, and
who and also what effect 1t will have
on the gubernatorial race.
For instance, the wise ones are say
ing that Evans will fight Smith bit
terly and also Stevenson" that he
had rather see Blease elected than
either Of them," and that he would
support Manning for governor"
Then they say Stevenson had rather
see Blease elected than either of
them" and that he would support
Manning for governor" Then they
say that Stevenson had rather see
please elected than either Smith or
| Evans, anu VIII HBnt Evans bitterly,
and support NJ. L. Smith for governor.
Also 1t is said by friends Of both
the governor and Of Senator McLaurin
that "Blease and McLaurin will fight
shoulder to shoulder" That "Blease
will try to hold his friends together
against the field and aid McLaurin.
And that "McLaurin will try to hold
his friends togther also and bring re-
cruits to Blease" Anyway 1t looks
| like merry war" to the knife and
| the knife to the hilt.
1t was my pleasure to be present at
the postprandial rucus at the state
house the other night and barring
the propinquity of fistcuffs it was real
pleasant to note how promptly the
two factions lined up for the fray. In
the twinkling Of an eye the divergent
political interests of the two was shed
like an antworm mantle and twenty
years Of separation rolled away as in
the stress of circumstances, John L.
McLaurin stepped quickly to the side
of Governor please as friend, ready
to do friends part.