Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-09-12
v. \; .: J.! I Pres, PREspoS. Secretaries.
From the Edgefcld Advertiser.
To the Managers of Elections of South
NornEno

10 the managers OF Elections OF South
Carolina.
The undersigned Committee on the part
of the Managers of EdgeGeld beg leave to
call the attention of the Managers through
out the State to the accompanying Rcsolu-
tions passed by them at Edgcfeld G. L.,
on the 18th day of October 1856.
Whereas, The Managers of Elections
find it oncrous and expensive in discharg-
ing the duty assigned to them, and bclicv-
ing that some compensation should be al
lowed as an incentive to a faithful discharge
of duty-past experience having proved
that incompctency and neglect of Managers
in several instances, has caused elections to
be contested and thereby run the State to
needless expense. And Whereas, VIC be-
licve that if some compensation were al
lowed, willing and competent persons will
be found to conduct the elections and guard
the purity of the ballot box so necessary in
q Republican Government BE it there
fore
Rc$oloed, That a Committee of three be
appointed by the Chair to memorialize the
Legislature on the subjcct-asking that
Managers of Elections be exempt from
patrol and Militia duty, and that they open
the polls but one day and count the votes
at their respective precincts.
Whereupon Mcssrs. E. W. Scibcls,
Thomas Grafton and Patrick Coleman, were
appointed by the Chair
| Resolocd, That we respectfully invite
the Managers of Elections throughout the
State to join us by making similar pcti-
tion.
Rcsozved, That. the Secretary of this
meeting send copy of these proceedings
to the Chairman of the Managers in each
District.
In compliance with these Resolutions We
drew up petition to the Legislature which
we are pleased to learn, met with very
favorable consideration by the Committee
on Privileges and Elections, and is to bC
reported on at the next meeting of the
Legislature.
The Committee will doubtless be inhu
enced in their report by the interest mani
tested by Managers in other Districts, and
although we know there is no general cleo
ton whichw will call the Managers together
| before the noxt Session, still ifthe Chairman
of the Managers at each Court House woulc
draw up a petition, portion if not ma
rjority, of the Managers could sign and have
their petite rs before the Committee by the
4th Monday in November next. This
would greatly strengthen our position ant
insure u favorable report which is very de
sirable, for unless some law is passed then
kno, change can be effected under four years
for the changes, asked for in our petition
requires an alteration Of the Constitution
which, can only be done by two Legislature
of different Sessions 49,.
Any one that willexamine the Record
Eof the j legislature for the last Shirtg years
Fand see the thousands of dollars expended
on contested elections (most if not all, o
which may be attributed to the negligence
and perhaps ignorance of, Managers) vii
he easily convinced, that some change il
our system of conducting elections is need
cd No reason can be found, or invented
Ewhy Managerssof Elections should not b.
! Ecompensated in come s~ay for their service
which are required by law to be rendere,
on certain days, however inconvenient OF
j expensive it may be to them. There ar
among the fifteen hundred Managers il
the State, many poor mcii, whose absenc
from home two or three days is an item o
Importance When he has to ride from
twenty to sixty miles and pay the attendan
expenso on, sfch d trip, it becomesa a burdel
which ire willing 10 bear.
4 b 1t is Needless to expect She purity of th
ballot box to be rigidly preserved unit
some law Is passed that holds out an IL
I ducement for men 70 Become Managers.
i Under the present system a, requests tlla
y D. be appointed III bis places which is &c