The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-03-20
Mr.. Webster to MIR. Barber.
Correspondence in re Regis
tration, Submitted for
Popular Judgment
ORASGEBURG, S c March Is.
To the Editor of The State

ORAxGEBURG, S c March Is.
To the Editor of The State
I am not exactly satisfied with the
denial Of the Attorney General Of the
published statement that be had sup
piled me with copies of the blank
afidavits prepared by him, and bis
admission that in response to my two
requests, be failed to supply me with
copies simply because it was not econ
veuient" for him to do so. The vita.
holding Of the official form from Repub-
lican applicants for registration in
every county Of the State, whereby
thousands were prevented from register
ing, explains why it was not conven-
lent for him to furnish me with the
form 10 question. He admits that he
supposed that it vas the intention of
the Republican State committee to have
those forms printed for the use of the
Republican applicants for registration.
This gives to the whole matter a signI-
6cance of importance which, emphasized
by the admitted fact that the Demo
cratic cbairmen throughout the State
were supplied with these official blanks,
renders me unwilling to drop the nat
ter where the ingenious but Ingenious
explanation Of the Attorney General
has left it.
fortunately, there is written evil
deuce, my letter and his reply, which
should be construed together to be
correctly understood. His reply. dated
the 9th of February, was not received
until the first day of March, three days
including Sunday, before the registra-
ton began. This is the only communl-
cation I have ever received from the
Attorney General.
Here is my letter Of Feb. %:
Referring to our conversation in
your Office, please inform me where l
can secure a supply of the forms pre-.
pared by you for the registration of
voters under the last act Of the Legis-
latuve or, if convenient, I would be
obliged if you would send me a copy,
that I may have a supply printed
Here is his reply:
..In reply to your letter Of the 26th
instant, I will say, that the blank forms
required to be prepared by me for ap-
plicants for registration, under the Con-
stitutional Convention law, have been
prepared and turned over to the Secre-
tary of State. It is his duty to furnish
all the books, blanks, etc to the
Supervisors of Rcgistrstion."
| ask anyone to read this correspond
euce and judge for himself. | under
stood the Attorney General to mean
that the Secretary of State would see
that the supervisors of registration we're
furnished with a supply Of these official
blanks. and with all due Difference to
the lucidity and sincerity of the At
torney Generals explanation, | respect
fully submit that this is the only reas-
enable Interpretation to be placed upon
the language of his letter.
| hope The State has misquoted
the Attorney General when he is re-
ported as saying IF Mr.. Webster
took no steps to secure the forms until
the day for registration to begin. 1t was
his fault" Can this be the statement
of the same Attorney General, the only
officer who could furnish the official
forms. who admits that | appealed to
him for the same twice in vain, and he
knows that the Supervisor here refused
to allow me to make a copy OF the
forms. even on the first day of registra-
ton, until he mad wired the Attorney
General for instructions? TO such ex-
travaeaut and inconsistent statements
is oue driven to the unavailing efforts
to cover up a patent fraud.
Now in regard to the whole matter |
desire to say in conclusion that | must
plead guilty, being Ignorant of the re-
quirements Of the law" if they we're
fully aud fairly met by the Secretary
of State furnishing each supervisor of
registration with OILY three samples for
his guidance" and the Secretary of
State, as secretary Of the lrby State
committee, seeing that the Democratic
county chairmeu were furnished with
an abundant supply of these official
forms, while they were withheld from
Republican applicants for registration.
The letter of the Attorney General
would have required no explanation the
the whole affair would not have and
sented quite as ugly a look if ''all pre-
blanks had been semitic the supervis-
OTIS aud certainly, few of these woald
have needed special Instructions to have
dealt them out spariugly to to the Re-
publican applicants for registration.