Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1900-10-03

MONEY IN PRIMARY ELECTIONS.
Rough Draft Of an Act which Proposes TO Fur.
ther Purify In Primary Elections.

70 tho Editor of The State: DurinI
the recent county campaign great dea
was said concerning tho use OF money i,
primary elections. Now that tho elec
tions arc over, the time is ripe for
thoughtful and Intelligent discussion O
tho subject, with tho viow of securing
the enforcement Of election laws in tn
future.
The criminal code of South Carolina
Revised Statutes, 1893, Vol. 2, declare
tho buying Or tho selling of votes b.
indircction or otherwise to be crimina
offcnsc. The oldest of these election
laws was passed in 1850, yct it is a re
markablc fact that there arc on recort
no decisions of our Supreme Court con
STRUNG any of these cnactments, indi
eating that there have been few prosccu
tions, if any at all, for misconduct il
elections.
| These criminal statutes arc intended
to regulate tho conduct of the candidate
and the voter, but no mention is made
of the middle man, the "influentiaP
political hcnchman, Who, for consider
alton, undertakes to induce others tc
vote for the man whose leg, as it were
he has so successfully pulled. 1t is bad
enough for a candidate to use money un.
lawfully, but after all he is simply vic.
tim of circumstances: it is even worse
for voter to receive pay; the hired pro
fcssional hcnchman, however, reaches
the climax of political corruption, and is
the most dangerous clement in modern
politics. lie is something new, and has
grown up in recent years like mush.
room, as the natural -csult of the mod
crn tendency in political lifc.
Our statutes on this subject are noto
riously ineffective; they have been con.
tinuously ignored. Possibly two thirds
of the voting population do not even
fnl S idy of the matter it has occurred
to mo that perhaps by making the pen
atty for tic violation of election laws
similar to the penalty for violation OF
the ducling Law, a better effect might be
had With this cnd in view the follow.
| 'iSJ SuiiSN III ptl lloiu Viz SlVUuLGS Vi
various States, is suggested as a substi
tutc for the present statutes:
| AN ACT REGULATING ELECTIONS.
Any person who, with tho intent tC
promote the election or nomination OF
himself or any other person to an elective
or appointivc Office:
|. Furnishes entertainment to the
voters before or during any primary OF
general election or nomination, at whicl,
such person is a candidate; or
2. Pays, or promises to pay, for such
entertainment; or
3. Furnishes money or other property,
or agrees to compensate any person, for
procuring tho attendance of voters mt
the polls Of such election; or
4. Contributing money for any pur-
poses, other than for printing and circu-
Eiating campaign literature, or conveying
| voters to the polls, or music or rent of
| halls, is guilty of a misdemcanor, and
shall for every such Oilcnsc, upon con
viction thereof, be deprived Of tho right
of suffrage and be disqualified from hold
ing any Office Of honor or trust what
ever, in the State, and shall be imprisoned
in the county Jail for term not exceed
ing six months, at the discretion of the
court.
Any person, who directly or indirectly,
by himself, or through any other person
|. Pays, lends or contributes, or offers
or promises to pay, lend or negotiate
amy money or other valuable considcra-
ton to or for any voter, or to or for any
other person, to induce such voter to
vote or refrain from voting at any pri-
mary or general election or nomination,
for or against any particular proposition
submitted to voters, or on account Of
such voter having voted or rcfraincd
from voting for or ragainst any particular
person or persons, or for or against any
proposition submitted to voters, or,
2. vances or pays, or causes to bc
paid, any money or other valuable thing,
to or for the use of any other person with
the intent that the same, or any part
thereof, shall he used in bribery at any
election, or knowingly pays or causes to
be paid any money or valuable thing to
any person in discharge or repayment OF
any money, wholly, or in part expended
in bribery at any election, is guilty of a
misdcmcanor, and shall pay for every
such otfcnsc, upon conviction thereof, be
deprived Of the right of suffrage, and be
disqualified from holding any Office OF
honor or trust whatever in this State
| etc, etc, etc.
Any person, who, directly or indirectly
10y himself or through any other person
!. Receives. agrees or contracts for,
before or during any general or primary
election or nomination, any gift, money
loan or other valuable consideration, fol
voting or agreeing to vote, for, or against
any particular person or persons at any
primary or general election or nomina,
ton, or for or against any proposition
submitted to voters at such clcction; or,
z. Receives any money or other valua-
bio thing during or after an election on
account of himself or any other person
having voted or rcfraincd from voting
for or against any particular person or
! persons at such primary or general cleo
ton or nomination, or for or against any
| proposition submitted to voters at such
election, or on account of having induced
any person or persons to vote for OF