The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1919-11-08
GOV. B|[BO TO Be
A CANDIDATE FOR
SENATE IN 1922
Has Announced to Friends That
He VIII Make the Race for
Williams Seat.

Jackson, Miss, Nov. 5.-Governol
| Theodore G. Bilbo has stated to
friends within the past few days thai
he intends to be a candidate for the
United States Senate in 1922, and
that he hopes and believes his princi-
pal opponent will be Ex-senator
James x. Vardaman, who has been his
political supporter since 1910.
The term of Senator John Sharp
Williams expires in 1928 and unless
| that brilliant statesman can be an
duced to change his mind, which at
present does not seem probable, he
will not be a candidate for the cleo
ton.
| The declared candidacy of Bilbo
following the formal announcement
about four weeks ago from Ex-Sena-
tor Vardaman that he intends to run
for the seat of Williams, does not
mean that Bilbo and Vardaman are
to have the field to themselves.
The political element that has al
ways opposed Vardaman and Bilbo,
while frequently in the minority,
will unquestionably have a candidate
in the field, and this time, according
| to present prospects, may have de-
cided strategic advantage with Bilbo
and Vardaman dividing their strength
! The news of Bilbo's candidacy
comes as decided surprise to many
of Vardaman's followers but this
feeling is not shared by intimate
friends of Bilbo, who have believed,
ever since his defeat for congress in
1918, that he would try to come back
| at the first opportunity, and aspire to
| nothing less than seat in the Unit
| ed States Senate.
| Thus far no action has been taken
towards picking candidate to sue
| ceed Senator Williams by those op-
posed to Vardaman and Bilbo. Many
| of the speakers regard the race as
too far in the distance to worry
about.
However, the relative merits and
| chances of some of the conservative
leaders are being informally discuss
ed. One name prominently men
toned is that of Congressman Webb
Venable, of the Fifth district, whose
friends are confident that he is able
TO vanquish Vardaman or Bilbo, eith1
er singly or coupled in the running
The names N Congressman j. 7. Co..
| lier, OF this district, who has made IA
splendid record in the house, is also
frequently mentioned. Still another
is Oscar Johnson, of Claksdale, who
was defeated candidate for governor
by 5000 votes in the primary last
summer.
Intimate friends of Senator Will
liasm say that there is not a remote
chance that he will change his mind
on the question of voluntary retire
ment. He is now in his 65th year,
and, while in good health, is frankly
tired of public life, and the wearisome
round of routine duties in Washing
ton. 1t is his desire to spend his re-
naming days on his plantation in va
zoo County, surrounded by his books
and friends-and he has wonderful
collection of these. In fact, some of
the friends of Senator Williams de-
clare that ne would retire now if po-
.itical conditions in the Senate were
different.
Bilbo's declared entry as sena-
torial aspirant is the livliest of po-
iitical news the State capital has had
for a long time, and is being discuss
ed here with much animation. 1t is
stated that he will commence the task
IF building his political campaign
Turing the approaching legislative
session. .--z9 T.