The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-07-16
GOVERNOR TAKES A HAND.
Says County Boards Must Revise the
Registration Books.

The condition of The registration
books in those counties in which dis
penSarv elections have been denied
will be thoroughly investigated, it ap-
pears. The appeals that have been
made TO Governor AnSel have met
with prompt response and in one
case he has instructed the solicitor to
Investigate conditions and to put the
case in the hands of the grand jury.
This relates to complaints made as to
conditions in Rarnwell county. In
reply to an inquiry from the super
visor Of Barnwen county Governor
Ansel has also written at length his
Interpretation Of the law regulating
the revision of the registration books
and the governors Interpretation is
very apt to be good law. This let
ter is as follows:
"To Mr.. J. B. Morris, Supervisor,
Barnwell, S. c. Dear Sir: Your
telegram of this date with reference
to the revision of registration books
and asking me to advise you if the
present board Of commissioners may
employ some one TO revise same, is to
hand, and in reply I Will say that Sec
tion 1S7 Of the Code of Laws of 1902,
Volume l, reads as follows:
"'The board Of registration shall
revise the list Of registered electors
at least ten days preceding each elec-
ton, and shall erase therefrom the
names of all registered electors who
may have become disqualified, CT
who, upon satisfactory evidence, may
appear to have died or removed from
their respective counties, or who may
have been Illegally or fraudulently
restored: Provided, that any one who
may deem himself injured by such an
act may have the same right Of ap-
peal to the Court Of Common Pleas
or any Judge thereof, as heretofore
provided for persons who have been
denied registration
"You will see from this that it re-
quires the board Of registration to
do this work md it does not provide
for anybody to do it for them. Ny
opinion, therefore, is that the work
must be done by the board themsel-
YES, because in the registration of vo-
ters they are made quasi judges as to
whether a registration ticket shall be
issued, and I do not think that any
one can revise the list as provided in
Section IFS except the board Of reg
istration. The aaw is plain that it
does not seem to me there can be any
question about it. In this state the
board of registration is very I'M
portant one and all the work, there
fore, is required to be done by them
and must be done by them personal
ly, and not by omebody else for them.
Yours very truly,
"M. F. Ansel,. Governor.
The Governor also wrote letter
to the supervisor of Williamsburg
county, which is straight to the point,
and speaks for itself. It follows:
columbia, July 10, 1907.-To
County Supervisor, Williamsburg
County, Kingstree, S. C.-Dear Sir:
Complaint has been made to me that
a petition was filed in your Office,
asking for an election upon the ques-
ton Of the sale Of liquor in your
county. the petition having been fill
ed before the first of May last, and
that nothing has been done by you
with reference to the same. You will
please advise this Office when the Pc
titions were filed with you and what
disposition you have made Of them.
If no action has been taken at all you
Will please explain why this is the
case.
"An early and full answer Will
obhge, yours very truly,
"M. F. Ansel, GOVERNOR