The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-03-20
CONGRESSIONAL CONT EST
Supervisor j. ID. Carwile Tells HO"
The Registration ~ Carried On.

| The RcgistratiOn ~ Carried On.
| During the last week Congressman 1ati-
merS Attorneys have been in town taking
testimony as TO the conduct OF 1he last cleo
tion, and incidentally brought Supervisor j.
D. Carwile to the stand.
J. ID. Carwile, sworn, says:
q. What Official position do you hold in
| ADDeville County:
A. Supervisor Of Registration.
| q, Are you under oath TO register the vot-
ers OF Abbevrlle County under the laws OF
South Carolina" "
| ton law of this State.
| O. Have yOn performed tne uutles OF Inal
office fairly and impartally"
| A, TO the best OF my ability, have.
Cross-examined by Mr.. Jones.
O. How far do you live from town since
you have been holding office?
A. From Winter. lS9O. until December,
1898, | lived fifteen miles from town; l live
eighteen miles from town now.
q. Don't you take up considerable time In
going home and coming here?
A. always get here in time to open my Of
| flee al ten O'clock.
o. For whom have you issued more regis
tration tickets; 10 white Democrats or color
| 4. have never counted them.
| q. Don't you know you have issued more
| to white men than to cOlored persons?
q. Isn't IL Il fact that more colored people
have applied at your office than whites last
year"
he positive about IL. The office was crowded
every Sale Day with both classes
q. Did you not give preference TO white
men in letting them In your room, and COL
ored men stand outside?
A. l don't think l adopted that as rule
last year. On some hot days in June l may
have issued one out OF ten through the Win
dow TO both classes.
10 a t.lI
more TO white men than colored men?
A. 1t may be because the white men crowd
ed The negroes back.
q. Isn't it fact that while colored
men were there crowding around you recelv-
ed lists from white men and filled T. hem out?
\. always made it rule TO wait on the
man next 10 me.
handed in TO you and kept colored men walt
4. / must say did not. might have
slone IT., but don't remember.
q. Isn't It fact that when ten coiored
men would crowd around you, you would 60
To uinner and wait until the white men get
the main places?
A. When dtLner time came went.
q. Did you leave at any other time TO
break up q crowd OF colOred men?
A. Not especially so; sometimes | went
out and kept more white men waiting than
70. What reasons besides dinner did you
leave your office during hour of registration :?
A. None but natural causes. Never for
private business.
q. How long did you remain at dinner
over an hour?
a. don't know. Don't think 1 ever re-
manned an hour in my life.
q. During last year from January to July
ami up TO election, did you issue any ticket
A. No, sir; ior / never carried my books
wanted renewal issued at any time when
WAS here.
@. Did you issue any registration ticket
between July and election
A. issued renewals within thirty days OF
q. Were any Of those renewals issued be.
tween July and election issued To colored
A. 1 don't remember. don't know If
did or moi.
q. Don't you know that you did issue re;
newals entirely to white people from 4th OF
a. I don't know IL for certain.
@. Did you issue any certificate OF regis
| tratiOn TO one who had become OF age alter
Sale Day in July and before election?
| a. have no recollection Of issuing any.
O. Did you ever issue any registration
TICK cts leaving age, name and the rest blank,
and your name signed 10 IL: a.,
A. No, sir: and any man who says l did
@. Who furnished the registration books
to the managers at the different precincts?
O. DO the numbers and names on those
books correspond with your main book here
A. They ought to. l have DR.. Waddells =
precinct books, and on II he failed TO put
down the numbers OF the tickets on the
books. Some OF the precinct books have no
numbers. The numbers correspond when
they are in there.
O. Wasn't it II fact that there were large
number of colored men waiting for registra-
tion tickets last May and July who did not
get them?
4. Yes. sir; expect there was.
G.. How many tickets, II you Wrote regu-
larry, ought you to Issue in an hour: -
A. don't know. Office Is open from lO
%: How d ms, many ought you to register in that
A, II depends on circumstances. have to
be governed by the registration law. have
10 find out If a man Is a qualified elector.
q. How many Is the least you have issued
| in an hour-the most or least-or In day?
A. don't know, SIR
@. Do you know your whole duty as Super
visor OF Registration?
A. Yes, sir; think do.
q. And you don't know how much you
have issued-the least or mosL-ln an hour?
| 4. No, sir.
registration certificate, sim ply on application
allowing you TO read affidavit and then Is
sue ticket?
q. How many Supervisors OF Registration
have there been In this county ?
A. DR.. Waddell, DR.. Wideman and w. =.
! Calhoun. Don't think DIR. Wldeman ever got
hold of the books on account OF sickness
Calhoun was appointed In his stead
@. What do you require from man who
has lost his registration certificate and wants
a renewal?
A. The usual affidavit and nothing else, II
| the affidavit IL properly made out.
! q. Did you not refuse last year on reglstra
| tion days to renew registration tickets on
| Just such affidavit 10 colored men?
| A. No, sir. The man who STears thai
swears lie.
q. Did you not refuse to issue the new Ger
tiffcate to people who had moved on Salesday:
A. No. sir: not when they had their old
one with them.
@. Don't you know that there we're less
than two hundred registered Republicans In
this county up To the last election:
| a. | don't know. / heard what Leading
Republican said.
Cross-examined by Mr. Blease.
| Q. In Issuing renewals to white or colored,
do you require them TO present an affidavit
stating that they have been registered and
the certificate they had has been lost?
| A. | do always when they are lost.
q. Have you registered the voters OF Alb
beVille County TO the best Of your ability ir
obedience to the Registration Laws OF South
Carolina?
| A. / have. j. ID. CarWile.
Sworn to before me this 18th day of March
| 1915. Ben. l.. Townsend,
| H.