▁such ▁remarks ▁contempor ane ously . ▁S math ers ▁offered ▁$ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁anyone ▁who ▁could ▁prove ▁he ▁said ▁it , ▁and ▁there ▁were ▁no ▁tak ers ▁before ▁his ▁death . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 8 ▁election , ▁both ▁S math ers ▁and ▁long time ▁Pitts burgh ▁mayor ▁and ▁soon - to - be ▁Pennsylvania ▁governor ▁David ▁L . ▁Lawrence ▁were ▁imp licated ▁in ▁but ▁eventually ▁ex on er ated ▁of ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁try ▁to ▁influence ▁the ▁Federal ▁Communic ations ▁Commission ' s ▁choice ▁of ▁a ▁gran te e ▁for ▁a ▁television ▁license ▁for ▁channel ▁ 4 ▁in ▁Pitts burgh . ▁ ▁S math ers ▁served ▁as ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁Democratic ▁Sen atorial ▁Camp aign ▁Committee ▁for ▁six ▁years . ▁In ▁April ▁ 1 9 5 7 , ▁Senator ▁S math ers ▁appeared ▁on ▁the ▁CBS ▁game ▁show ▁What ' s ▁My ▁Line ? ▁as ▁a ▁panel ist . ▁ ▁Stand ▁on ▁civil ▁rights ▁S math ers ▁generally ▁opposed ▁legisl ative ▁efforts ▁for ▁civil ▁rights . ▁ ▁Like ▁many ▁Southern ▁Democr ats , ▁S math ers ▁cod d led ▁seg reg ation ist ▁vot ers . ▁He ▁den ounced ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Supreme ▁Court ' s ▁Brown ▁v . ▁Board ▁of ▁Education ▁r ul ings ▁as ▁a ▁" clear ▁ab use ▁of ▁jud icial ▁power ." ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 6 , ▁S math ers ▁signed ▁the ▁Southern ▁Man if esto , ▁together ▁with ▁eigh teen ▁of ▁the ▁other ▁twenty -