The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-09-14
Communication From Mr.. Dabbs.

Mr.. Editor: I have just read what you
call "a full and detailed report of the pro-
ceediugs OF the County Executive Commit
tee'' which you say "has bees prepared from
notes taken during the sitting Of the COM nit
tee'' aud sis as full aod accurate as possible
to make it within the space at our COM
maud" Yeu have, usin,entionally trust,
dons the committee and myself grave inJus-
tice in not stating the reasons which | gave
for not sustaining the protest Of Mr.. Moses
should have put in writing land thereby
made it a part of the record the reasons why
in my Judgment the committee could not 60
behiud the returos and would have done
go, if had for moment thought that the
reasons | gave would be compressed into
a paragraph which does not give one specific
answer to the protest, and that my reply to
~. Stuckey's ''clear and comprehensive
argument should be characterized as "reite.
rating the argument previously advanced"
when replied specifically to every argument
advanced by Mr.. Stuckey.
As you have nowhere in your report given
the specific reasons for the action Of the COM
mittee, will with your permission, do so
now:
lst. stated on the hoor of the committee
that the Supreme Courts of several States
have held that where the proper box is not
provided, the managers may use the best sub
stitute obtainabe, and the vote mnet be
counted
I'd. In regard to the Taylor vote not being
in 10 the 43 hour limit, should sot dsbar il,
because if We adhere rigid;y to the letter Of
tie law 10 this Instance We would have bad
to reject Eatle, for not opening until 10
O'Clock Laborers and Mechanics for sending
their returns up In an unsealed envelope by
some one other THAI manager or executive
committeeman and other boxes for not being
properly sealed, or being left in the Sheriff 8
Office, when the rules say the boxes shall De
delivered to the Chairman of the executive
committee These reasons apply to the map-
ner of sending ia the atkins box by mail,
tied with cotton string. ETC., ETC., about
which the learned attorney had 30 much 10
say.
3D. The committee could not undertake to
count the surplus voies in the Sumter and
other boxes named, because all that class Of
votes had been destroyed IN seven boxes, land
in oae box. the Scarborough box, bad been
taken from the State box and counted, and
the committee was Informed that the votes
10 ssid box were counted for the contestant
1t would be marifestly unfair to take up these
votes in other boxes and count them when
they had been destroyed and there was 90
means Of knowing who they were for in seven
boxes.
4th That the sworn managers Of election
counting the votes Immediately after the close
of the polls could make more accurate
coont, than the committee could, after two or
three days when some of the boxes had ceen
improperly sealed, aud had been in the hands
of irresponsible persons
The matter of The extra ballot in the Tay.
lor box was overlooked by toe committee, ae
also the sealed ballots IN Pri :sreer, Samter
aud GaiiIard's x Roads The protest from
Privateer was Oh the grounds OF putting the
name on the roll that msrring Gaillard's x
Roads because the challenged voter resides in
Lee County one of the Sumter challeges be-
an inmate OF the poor house, and cave for
gotten the ground of challenge for the 3rd
from Sumter. The explicit disposa! CT these
SIX ballots was overlooked, uointen iiooaly,
on my part until Mr Dinkins explained why
he voted 800" No motion had been made
to take them up, and after the vote was an
nornced did not think it worth while 10 do
anything in that direction, because thought
i, too late in the proceedings to take them up
In conclusion, Dir. Editor, request that
you give this correction Of "tbe record" ss
much publicity in the Item ana Wa,chman
and Southron es goa have your report OF the
proceedings. Respectfully,
E. w. Dabbs.