The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-02-12

ord as q witness. Does any man speak for
for him? The record is as silent az the grave.
Will the Committee allow BRAKEMAN TO de.
posit ballot? To ask this question Is to an
swer 1t. And so we can go through the lists
of names one after another and how many
show themselves competent to cast ballot
under the constitution OF the State? Not a
dozen. Why should the Contestant take up
time contending before the Committee that
the registration law OF the State Is unconsti-
tutional when he doesn't show that an cleo
tion conducted under the Constitution itself.
without regard TO the registration law, would
have produced any different result? have
been amazed that respectable counsel 10 pre-
pairing the Contestants case should have
been so vitality remiss n making out their
law they forgot to take notice Of the Constitu.
ton and its requirements. They confined
their proof to the result Of the registration
law-to the simple rejection OF votes for want
OF registration certifcates-and they neglect.
ed altogether TO show the facts necessary 10
establish their case under the Constitution
They haven't put IL In the power Of the Com I.
all, the official returns should be modified |:
and they can't expect the Committee to act
without the necessary facts 10 act upon.
Why should the Committee waste It's time
considering an abstract question Of law, 10
wit, whether the registration law OF South
Carolina is valid, when the determination OF
the question wouldn't enable them to change
the result shown by the official returns?'
At another point in his argument, advert
ing 10 the character OF the case as made out
by Moorman, Mr.. johnson said: at Is hard
ly possible 10 treat the contestant and his
seriousness. He says. IF it hadn't been for
this law OF which 1 complain, would have
been elected to seat In this House. There
are more negroes than whites es IN that Con- Con-
negroes than the number OF whites who voted
for Latlmer. Why Latimer received only
577S votes and the colored people before the
tnxY
places, and pledged themselves TO vote for
me and numbers OF my tickets were distri-
buted among them. A great many on the
day OF election went within sight Of the poll
no threats or Intimidation Of any kind in
terfering, some ventnred to 60 up and pass
through the house where the ballot box was,
and they looked at the box as they passed
through. ct was the duty OF the managers,
forsooth, TO halt them as they went by and
direct them to vote.) Others, bolder still,
actually went up to the ballot box, laced the
managers, and offered TO vote; but the manag-
ers pleading this miserable law of which l
complain, would let only those vote VINO mad
registration certificates. or course oil the
negroes would have voted tor me II they had
voted al all and think 1t apparent from the
census tables OF the United States that l
would have received more votes than Mr..
Latimer II the managers OF election had only
disregarded that law OF which am complain
Ing. Now declare that the legislature Of
South Carolina had no right TO put such Law
upon the statute books or the State, anu the
situation will be very much simplifed. You
will then have only 10 assume as necessary
to my election that that law kept a,1V votes
from being cast tor me which were not cast;
and really think have shown that negroes
10 very nearly that number went within sight
of the polls on election day. or at least would
have gone there II they had supposed that
they were entitled to vote. At any rate,
have introduced In evidence the figures OF the
United States census, and l hnd very great
fNrfi in ThAy there
l6,Sls negro men In the Congressional district
over twenty-one years OF age VINO dld not
vote for Inc. Surely there must be some
means Of extracting 4 ,79I votes from the num-
ber." $3.50
"There are some things referred to, or hint.
ed at. in the evidence which are hardly de-
serving Of serious men ntion as affecting the re.
suit In this case. For instance, only o,Uo
figures produced by the contestant show IA,
$50 whites in the district Of voting age. a
great many questions are accordingly asked,
Intended to suggest that Latimer was not
popular man with his party, and, furt her,
that the party was bitterly divided into hos
tile camps; the Tillmanites, or reformers:
and the Straghtouts or conservatives. Ihe
fact is, as everybody conversant with affairs
in South Carolina knows, the primary elec-
tlon Is the great event with the Democratic
party In The State 1t Is In that election,
provided for by law, that the Democrat party
discusses within Itself It's plans, determines
its policies, and selects lts candldaLes: ID
Its climax In their primary election, az
which time all questions affecting party
action are settled, the members OF the party
being thereafter pledged TO unity OF actlon.
The vote at the general election Is often small
Ter than at the primary, for the simple reason
that the voters do not feel 1t TO be necessary
TO turn out. Everything Is settled at the
primary, and, unless there Is an exigency re-
quiring 1t, the voters are not 80 particular