The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1870-10-05
TFrom the Charleston Nsws.1
THE ELKCTION LAW OF 1870.

From the Charleston Nsws.1
THE ELKCTION LAW OF 1870.
TO THE EDITOR or THE NEWS.
Allow me to call public attention to
this cunningly devised soheme to stuff
tie ballot bor.
Under the pretonce Of great caution to
preserve its purity, by locks and keys,
it makes . fraud upon suffrage a
matter easy to commit and hard to
prove.
Heretofore, managers Of elections were
appointed by the Legislature. They
were carefully selected without regard
to party--men of character, who had
the confidence of their neighbors, were
chosen. And Of recent years the votes
were counted in the presence Of the
public, Immediately after the close of
the polls.
By this new law the Governor is di-
directed to appoint commissioners of
elections-the commissioners to appoint
the managers, and furnish them with
ballot boxes securely looked.
Now mark The election is to be held
on certain Wednesday !; the votes are
not to be counted until the Tuesday fol.
lowing-6ve days. Meanwhile the locked
6o1es are to be returned to the commits
sioners, and kept by them until count.
ed, ,oith the key to the dor IN their official
pockets. No wonder Governor -cott
approved this law on, the 1st Of March
last, we'll knowing that he would soon
become a candidate for re. election. In
whose pockets are the kcys? Why,
certainly, in the pockets Of the com
missiouers- the pockets of the men
who he has himself appointed, not be~
cause they enjoy the confidence of their
neighbors not because Of thoir high
moral character, but because they are
Scott men, interested to promote his
election. Therefore he very confident
Iy trusts them with the keys to The votes
If the people an their pockets, and the
UoteS Themselves im their hands But do
those Of us who are not his mon trust
his commissioners with the same uu-
doubling confidence /? Now, between tho
law which opens the door, aud the
Governor who walks in with his inter.
ested parlizan officers, the safety of the
ballot box is certainly in great danger.
Would he not have better promoted
the confidence of the public by appoint
ing commissioners from both political
parties
Save me from temptation is the wisest
prayer that was ever offered to the
Throne Of Grace. Are political rarti.
zans only exempt from tho seductive
influence of temptation to do evil ?
Have the Reform party no interests in
the elections that all the mmissioners
are appointed from the party which
seeks to overwhelm them Have We no
rights which our Governor ought to re.
spect Or is it because We have no men
fit to be trusted
It is manifest the trainers Of the law
themselves do not trust the managers,
or why direct the box to be locked while
in their hands? The Governor only
trusts his omn party friouds as commits.
sioners between the two, tho com
missioners are set to watch the man.
ayers !; but who are to watch the com.
missioners Is it unreasonable that We
outsiders should be somewhat diasatis-
fed with this little family arrangement
by which our votes may mover sec the
light? Is it not enough that the Gov.
ernor has put bayonets into the hands
Of his friends, to be paraded, as they
will be on tho day Of election, in the
midst of pcacable and unoffenling citi--
zens7 But must the ballot itself be
manipulated and stuffed to suit the ne
cessities of himself and party? The law
puts tho ballot, with the key to the
ballot, in the hands of the commission
ers, and delays the count for five days.
The Governor himself candidate, ap-
points only Radical commissioners
Shame, whore is thy blush! If the
purpose be not fraud, wha. is it 2 leave
the Governor to answer these questions
and to explain this extraordinary con-
duct or with burning shame to re-
main silent, as he does under the mighty
blows Of Carpenter and Butler but let
him emomber-silence is sometimes
confession.
In the County of York, tho Reform
party, by resolution of their convention,
have called upon the commissioners to
appoint at least one Reformer on the
board Of managers at each precinct -
Will they do it? All we ask is q free
ballot, without bayonets at our breasts,
and fair count; and this VIC must have,
or it will be to no purpose to attond the
elections.
pause for reply.
OATEsBY.