Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1857-11-12
From the Edgefeld Advertiser.

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From the Edge6eld Advertiser.
THE MANAGERS OF ELECTIONS.
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 resolu-
ton passed by them at Edgefeld G. H., on
the 18th day of October, 1856.
Whereas, The Managersof Elections find
it onerous and expensive in discharging the
duty assigned to them, and believing that
some compensation should be allowed as an
incentive to faithful discharge of duty
past experience having proved that inoom-
potency and neglect of Managers in several
instances has caused elections to be contested
and thereby run the State to needless ex-
pense. And Whereas, We believe that if
some compensation were allowed, willing and
competent persons will be found to conduct
the elections and guard the purity of the
ballot box so necessary in Republican
Government Be it therefore
Reso1ue1, That Committee of three be
appointed by the Chair to memorialize the
Legislature on the subject asking that
Managers of Elections be exempt from pat
rol and militia duty, and that they open the
polls but one day and count the votes at their
respective precincts. g..
,Whereupon Messrs. E. W. Seibe!s, Thos.
Grafton and Patrick Coleman, were appoint
ed by the Chair.
Resolved, That we respectively invite the
Managers of Elections throughout the State
to join US by making similar petition.
Resozyed, That the Secretary of this meet
ing send copy Of these proceedings to the
Chairmen 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 fa-
vorable consideration by the Committee on
Privileges and Elections, and is to be re-
ported on at the next meeting of the Legis-
lature. .,-,.
The Committee will doubtless be inAu-
enced in their report by the interest mani
tested by Managers in other Districts, and
although we know there is no general elec-
ton which will call the managers together
before the next session, still if the Chairman
of the Managers at each Court House would
draw up petition, portion if not major
ity, of the Managers could sign and have
their petitions before the Committee by the
4th Mondayin November next. This would
greatly strengthen our position and insure a
favorable report, which is very desirable, for
unless some law is passed then, no 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 Legislatures of differ
ent Sessions.
ANY one that will examine the Records of
the Legislature for the last thirty years, and
see the thousands of dollars expended on
contested elections (most if not all of which
may be attributed to the negligence, and
perhaps ignorance of Manager0 will be ca
silly convinced, that. some change in our sys-
tenn of conducting elections is needed. No
reason can be found, or invented, why Man
ayers Of Elections should notbe compensated
in some way for their services which are re-
quired by law to be rendered on certain days
however inconvenient or expensive it may
be to them. There are among fifteen hun
dred managers in the State, many poor men,
whose absence from home two or three days
is an item Of importance. When he has to
ride from twenty to sixty miles and pay the
attendant expenses on such trip, it be-
comes burden which few are willing to
bear.
1t is needless to expect the purity of the
ballot box to be rigidly preservedsuntil some
law is passed that holds out an inducement
for men to become managers. Under the
present system, A. requests that B, be ap-
pointed in his place, which is accordingly
done, hoaeever incompetent lie IS, or ancon-
venient 1t may be for him to serue; he has
never seen the laws defining the duties and
powers of managers, and Eve think it very
doubtful whether one-tenth of the managers
have ever seen them it is not probable that
he can repeat the oath required to be taken
before the polls are opened. He proceeds,
therefore, in an irregular, illegal manner in
this most important business-.serves one term
has Mr.. C. appointed in his place; and the
thing goes on almost in regular rotation
every one anxious to get out of an Office
that brings neither honor nor profit, but on
the contrary attended invariably with trouble
and expense.
There are also many objections to the man
ner Of counting votes; it opens the door to
fraud and corruption in the most enticing
manner, We do not speak, of course, for all
the Districts; but generally one manager
takes charge of the box or bag when the
polls close, and he thus has every opportuni-
ty, without the possibility of detection, of
changing the votes before he reaches the
Court House and no means is left Of ascer.
tanning whether the true result is given or
not. Perhaps, too, be may be assisted in