The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-07-06
Fraud In Primary Elections Should Be Frown-
ed Down BY All. Custom is Law and to
Choose Magistrates by Ballot is.Mr.
Jones Believes, the Proper
Thing.

Choose Magistrates by Ballot is.Mr.
Jones Believes, the Proper
Thing.
Editor The Manning Times:
The charge of fraud being perpe-
trated in the last primary election in
Clarendon county has been repeatedly
made, and suggestions how to prevent
a like occurrence in future primary
elections.
Among suggestions made in regard
to heading Off fraud in elections in the
future. was a motion made and adopted
by the county executive committee at
its meeting on Saturday 18th inst.
The suggestion made in the eNecu-
tive committee, provide. that each
Democratic club in the county send to
the county chairman revised clab
roll at the next meeting of the eNecu-
tive committee which is to convene on
July 10th and the names of al voters
who has since died, and the names Of
all who has since moved away are to be
eXpuneed from all rolls.
After this primary OF the rolls 1t IS to
be expected b. some that then will be
chance left fo- the perpetration of
fraud in future primary elections. How
this plan is TO prc:e effective along this
line we are unable to conceive.
In the earlier days of the plan OF
Democratic primary elections in South
Carolina, there was at times insinua-
tions of the preparation fraud.
The history of primary elections IN
South Carolina teaches that the pur-
poses of the same was to keep the white
people, or rather the white voters in
tact and to thereby insure white sup
remacy in, and Democratic control of
South Carolina.
To forever put and end to the charge
of fraud in primaries. and all chances
for the same, the legislature OF South
Carolina legalized primary elections.
The legislature during its sessions in
the very remote past, enacted a Ian,
providing that all primary elections in
the future should be governed and reg
ulated by the same laws that governed
and regulated the general elections of
the State.
Did the legislature expect to pre-
vent fraud in either primary or general
elections by having revision OF club
rolls and by revision of poll lists? We
think not.
If not in that way then in what way?
We answer, by the courts.
The proper way as we have always
understood to prevent election frauds
is to prevent the same at the ballot
box. Every voter offering to vote in
primary or in general election has to
subscribe to an oath that he is a quail
fed voter according to the laws of the
State of South Carolina.
If one offering to vote is not a quail
fed voter as the law provides, his vote
can be challenged aad the person pre-
vented from putting his ballot in the
ballot box.
Should by any scheme or trick, any
person or persons, unqualified TO vote
do so. and it should be detected,
that person or persons could be indicted
and brought to trial in the courts, and
if convicted, could be punished for
perjury. ;,
Frauds in primary, general, or al
other elections ought to be tolerated
by none, but prevented by all.
Club rolls may be revised till dooms
day and all their revisons will never
prevent frauds in primary elections II
there is such practice OF fraud prac-
ticed.
The aggrieved candidates ought to
get positive proof and then apply to the
courts for redress.
Thinking this much on fraud in pri-
mary elections sufficient for the present
we will now ask the readers attention
for a while to the matter OF magls.
trates, and to the manner of their Sc
lection as we personally believe.
For twelve years it has been the Gus
tom of the voters of Clarendon county
bv the arrangement of the county exc
cutive committee to choose magistrates
by ballot along with the other county
officers. An eminent and learned luclst
OF this State has expressed the opinion
that custom makes law, and by this
ruling we contend that 1t IS lawful to
elect magistrates by ballot and the Gus
tom to do so should be continued.
Some suggest that the executive COM
mittee take this custom from the peo-
pie and put the matter OF making mag
istrates in Clarendon at least, in the
hands of the appointing power OF the
State, as it an appointive office.
We oppose this plan or suggestion OF
appointment. and we appeal to the exc
cutive committee to repudiate all sucn
suggestions as detrimental tothe rights
of free men, and as opposed to our form
of Republican Government:
The objection advanced by some to
continuation of electing magistrates by
ballot, is, that by their popularity and
ioyial cleverness incompetent men get
in the Offices.
This much of the subject we leaee
for the people to ponder and to settle
for themselves.
We are frank to confess that the
magistrates that the people has been
electing has always compared favora-
bly, in point of intelligence and integ-
rity. as any in the past that has been
secured by appointive power. Any
magistrate as we'll as other county Off
GERS who has been through the conhi-
dence Of the voters put in Office and
afterwards prove incompetent and
recreant to the trust reposed, can be
speedily removed.
In making the appointments by the
Endorsement of the legislative delega-
tion, it never has been satisfactory nor
never will be. There has been great
dissatisfaction along the line OF even
this plan.
| How often has it been said that many
who have been appointed by legislative
de1eoations. that they were not ap-
pointed on their merit or for their
ability, but simply because of their IN
fuence to control votes.
Both plans by primary election and
by legislative appointment, many OF us
know have failed to please some people,
so let US adhere to the custom of elect