The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-09-17
The Election Declared.

The county executive committee met
last Thursday to 2clare the election.
The writer was called to Sumter TO at
tend to private matter. and was not
present at the meeting Of the commit
tee. We learn that it was rumored
among the members Of the committee
that we went to Columbia for some
purpose in connection with the cleo
ton. but there was no foundation for
such 4 rumor and it could only origl-
nate in very imaginative mind, the
same sort of mind that originated q
great deal of the material used in the
campaign.
The committee was requested by NJ.
&C.. Galluchat, Esq. acting as attorney
for Mr.. II. L. johnson TO compare the
polling lists of certain clubs to see if
frauds had been committed, and we
are informed that subcommittee was
appointed to do this. they retired to a
Jury room and in about half an hour
reported everything correct. 1t was a
physical imposSibility to properly COM
pare those rolls in that length OF time:
it would have taken several hours to
make such an investigation. and we
doubt if it could have been done in q
day.
But. from the report of the sub COM
mittee the result of the election, and
the nominees was declared. In this
connection it is due US to allude TO an
other rumOr which was in circulation
among the committee. also the manu-
factured product of highly excited
mind. II was that we were at the bot
tom Of Mr.. .JohpSon's communication.
in other words. we were putting him
up to the step he took, to pave the way
for Il protest ourself. There IS abso-
lutely no truth in the rumor either.
Mr.. johnson who is Z friend Of ours,
came TO Us the night before the COM
mittee meeting and told Us what he
contemplated doing: we advised him
against ii. and gave rs our reason. that
q majority of the cOmmistee were par
tisans. and the chairman had shown by
his activity. his utter inability to give
impartial treatment. that it would be
useless TO try to get fair play. Mr..
Johnson told Us that he would employ
counsel 10 represent him. and we ad-
yised against that because it would be
money thrown away He also told us
that he would not contest the election.
but his purpose %as 10 find the scOun-
| dre!s who voted at various boxes that
he might prosecute them in the courts.
| We tried to persuade him from his
purpose but when he insisted in his
determination. ut his request we draft
ed the communication which WAS read
to the committee. and which served the
purpose of some people to manufacture
the story that johnson was cats paw
for Appclt'' We have 40 hesitency
in saying that we believe fraud was
committed in the election, and we be-
lieve it was accomplished. either by re-
peating or by voting names of men who
| did not show up at the polls. and we
| believe there are many names on the
poll lists as having voted the owners OF
which cannot be found in Clarendon
| county. We are told that at one club
the name of Grill appeared, there is
but one man by that name in this coun.
". and he voted here. and he did no.
| leave the town on election day, yet hi;
name appeared on an Out-of-town poll
ING list. Fraud was committed. but We
believe the managers 1T every box
counted the votes straight. and so fur
rs the count was concerned there Is no
ground for complaint.
We base our belief OF fraud on the
fact that in every club in the county
numbers of men did not 90 TO the polls:
in some clubs the absentees amounted
to 20. and in others from to p: there
are - clubs in the county, and if the
stay-awaycrs averaged only 10. the
number not voting would be over 23O.
The vote returned by the managers
was about l7:10. add to this number the
very small estimate of stay-at-homes.
would make ClaIendOns voted over
1000. and we are so confident that this