The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1907-09-25
WOULDN'T LET HIM VOTE
Mr.. P. |. RaWI Asserts That Books
Had Been Changed.
To the Editor Of The Disnatch

To the Editor of The Dispatch:
Not since the days of John Gil
pins" famous ride, when so many mig
gers were voted by PURE DEMO
Gratis to beat Uncle Simon, have I
been so goaded to the necessity of
again Though reluctantly entering
the newspaper arena to fight the tur-
pitude of political jugglers. But here,
let me digress. Boys, if you put it on
too thick you may possibly hatch up
some trouble for yourselves. Better
not send too many dirty, scurrilous
post cards through the U. S. mails,
Uncle Sans secret service men might
nab you and, for the sake of your
poor, distressed mothers, try and stay
out of the Albany penitentiary.
1 have been voting many years
have often been tried. never denied,
and stand ready at any time to be
tried again. On the 10th day of Sep
tember, A. D. 1907, however, [ tried
to vote in the General Election, but
was denied. Last year George A.
Rawl, registered number 303, tried to
vote and was denied. Therefore, be-
fore started to this election hunted
up and found two registration certii-
Gates. Armed with these and. last
years tax receipt, am able to read
any section of the constitution, it
cannot be proved that I practice mis-
cegenation or niggeralism, (Which,
under the new constitution, disfran-
chises any white-skinned NAM, am
also free-born and Of lawful age, and,
except with members of the court
house ring and its tributaries, under
the tongue of good report, I thought
I had right to vote. I don't some
times vote in the General Election,
but in this election I wanted to vote
against trimming Lexington county
to make another court house ring, but
there was a greater reason why l
wanted to vote and that was I wanted
to vote against cutting school dis
tricts number 6 and and running
them to make little political school
ring, branch of the court house ring
and fasten an extra tax on my prop
erty and posterity. I, with few
hundred others, voted against that
very thing in last years primary and
won, but William and Brooks both
went back on us.
My registration number is 124, but
when Killian Hook, Charlie Living
ston and his son-irl-law kindly let me
examine the registration book behold
civilian Albert'a was written oppo-
site l24. Now, if there ever was a
voter in Hollow Creek township by
the name OF civilian Albert" fail
to find any one who ever heard of
him, and I have asked many. Regis
tration number 303, George A. Rawl
and 304, r. B. Rawl, has heavy red
lines run through them, but no 9th
ers, as could see, had been stricken
out. A note to the right, on the same
leaf, explained that 303 and 304 was
illegal, or had been entered illegally,
or something to that effect, but no.
pody's nameSis signed to that explain
atory note.
Now, unless it is proved that there
is, or ever was, a civilian Albert"
in Hollow Creek township, am COM
PEELED to write FRAUD. Unless the
writer of that explanatory note in
registration book comes out like a
man and tells the citizens of Lexing-
ton county that he wrote it and ex-
plains the illegality of so3 and 3o4, I
will again write FRAUD.
If there is or was such man as
s'Willian Albert why was his name
placed opposite 124 and mine left out,
even if the book had been transcribed
a dozen times? What is a regisra-
ton ticket for any how il. it does not
protect the voter in his inalenable
right to vote? It appears to me that
registration certificate is the only
safeguard against fraud, because the
books are in divers different hands
invariably in the hands of the court
house ring-and they can easily alter
or change to suit themselves.
I appeal to the people of Lexington
county to help me redress the great
wrong imposed upon me and mine in
being all disfranchised. And if we
are to remain disfranchised, because
Ihave the impudence to oppose wrong
doing by the court house ring, want
to know it.
Yours for what is right,
: P. I. RAWL.
Lexington, R. F. D. 2, Sept. %.
l.. SsAskss