Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-03-06
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CONTROL OF PARTY MACHINERY
Believed That There Will Be Stiff
Eiuht Over the Matter.

The storm clouds are gathering for
a tremendous struggle to control the
Democratic state con rention, which
assemblies in Columbia on the third
Wednesday in May, writes w. F. Cald-
we'll, the Columbia correspondent OF
the News and Courier Conservatives
and Radicals, Bleaseites and anti
Bleaseites, and other Of the so-called
factions Of the Democratic party are
laying plans to capture the state con-
yention which carries with it the con-
troll of the primary election machin-
cry.
Realizing that the contest for the
United States senatorship will be IT,
tanic struggle, followers of Governor
Cole l. Blease have banded admins
tration supporters Of both branches OF
the general assembly into compact
organization and administration meas
ures have received the undivided sup
port of the minority in both houses.
A regular organization OF the Blease
legislators has been maintained and
frequent caucuses have taken place to
determine the course the administra-
ton minority would follow. Resulting
from this understanding the vetoes Of
Governor Blease in the house have in
variably been sustained, except in two
minor instances, when the caucus did
not bind its members. Several vetoes
met death in the house the past week,
the solid vote Of the Blease minority
preventing the necessary two-thirds
to overrule the veto.
The administration minority in the
senate is not sufficient to sustain We
to. The majority against the governor
there is over two-thirds.
Well satisfied with the results Of
their action in the legislative session
now drawing to a close, the Blease fol-
lowers are planning for the Demo-
cratic club meetings, which take place
the fourth Saturday night in April. At
these meetings the clubs are re-or-
ganized and delegates selected for the
various county conventions, which
meet the first Of May, at which time
delegates from the various counties
are chosen to the state convention,
and the members of the state execu-
tive committee elected.
The control of the club meetings is
the all-important thing; for obviously
that will insure control Of the majori-
ty Of the county conventions, and
through that the state convention and
the state committee. This Is the fight
and to this end the administration
forces are now directing their efforts.
Already the cry has been sent forth to
the Bleaseites to organize and control
the club meetings.
But while the supporters Of Senator
E. D. Smith are not talking they are
far from being idle. There is enough
surface indications to show that Gov
ernor Blease is going to face the fight
of his career for further political hon.
ors. The doctrine Of Anti-Blease Is
being spread through the length and
breadth Of the state and everywhere
his opponents are preparing for the
club meetings and the county and
state conventions. They propose, II
possible, to again control the state
convention and the election machinery
and will go into the fight behind Sena-
tor Smith to retrieve the defeat OF
1912, and IL possible wipe Bleaseism
from the political map Of the state.
Not talk, but work, is the motto, as 1t
is evident from surface indications
Unless signs are misleading, another
factor will have to be reckoned with
in the fight for the senatorial toga.
Former Governor John Gary Evans, 1t
is believed, is considering going into
the fight, and his friends aver that
his entrance would drive wedge
right across the chasm between the
Blease and Smith forces and make
new faction out Of portions Of both
the present ones. They say it will be
an Evans faction made up Of voters
from both the Blease and Anti-Blease
camps, and that it will be formid-
able wedge.
Then it would not surprise political
observers to witness still another en-
trant into this race in the person OF
Representative w. F. Stevenson, OF
Cheraw. In fact, Mr.. Stevenson has
told friends in the past few days that
he is considering entering the race. He
| is we'll known all over the state and Is
a public speaker we'll able to hold his
own on any stump with any opponent.
His hold on the people, his friends
point out is illustrated in his re-elec-
ton from Chesterfield county last
election in the face Of the fact that
Chesterfield went several hundred ma
jority for Blease. This is another pos
sible wedge calculated to split into
still smaller factions the Blease and
Anti -Bleaseites Of South Carolina. If
the Evans and Stevenson wedges rip
open and break up the two factions,
the race will be hard to forecast with
any accuracy.
A four r-cornered fight between Smith
Blease, Evans and Stevenson would
make a race the like Of which has new
er been seen in South Carolina, it is
believed Four better stump speakers
could not be picked. Each is the vet
eran Of many rough and tumble de-
bate and when these four measure
strength on the hustings it is likely
that much more than fur will fly.
| With the legislative and public rec
ords each has made in public life at
their sides the senatorial candidates
are preparing for the attack. The
prize, the senatorial toga, is dangling
in the distance, and while the people
wait, the would-be senators are sharp
ening their forensic weapons and
making ready for the titanic struggle
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