The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-10-04

declare the results.
Report of Subcommittee.
Following is the full report Of the
subcommittee appointed to investigate
charges of fraud, irregularities, etc., in
connection with the primary of August
27:
Columbia, S. c., Oct. 1, 1912.
To the State Democratic Executive
Committee-The committee appointed
by you to investigate the primary cleo
ton held for the nomination of State
officers on August 81, and especially in
relation to the Office of governor, re-
spectfully report that upon entering
upon the work assigned this commit
tee realized that there were only three
sources of probable information, to
wit:
First. The evidence furnished by the
contestants.
Second. The information coming
from the public generally.
Third. The evidence to be gotten
from the records of the Democratic
party.
From the first source we have re-
ce1Ved nothing.
The reasons for this are stated in
the letter which is filed herewith, and
were also stated orally by counsel for
the contestant, Judge Jones. NO evil
dence was offered by him.
From the public we realized that we
could expect general charges and spe-
cifc instances if the public should be
asked to cooperate and to send In al
fidavits, provided there should be any
thing to report. To give the public
thorough opportunity to do so the
chairman called on the public ganer-
ally to furnish information end gave
two weeks for this to be done, AID d
good many responses were made, all
of which are hereby transmitted to
this committee.
From the public records the most re-
liable evidence must come. In order
to get this the county chairmen and
members of the executive committees
were called upon to furnish copies OF
club rolls and poll lists, and the news
papers were asked to publish the poll
lists that the public might have an
opportunity to see who had voted and
report to this committee. To collect
these and check and arrange them so
as to show whether they were regular
or irregular was big UNDERTAKING,
but through two subcommittee 1t
was undertaken, and the result will
be stated below. See Exhibit "a.
Some Chairmen Refused Aid.
Some of the county chairmen 1efus-
ed to do anything, some did not even
answer the inquiries and requests,
some represented that there was no
fraud in their counties and others sent
in copies of the poll lists and club
rolls. The newspapers when rendered
the poll lists generally published them,
and in some instances bad the copies
made up and published them, Ter
which this committee especially ten
ders them its thanks.
After devoting two weeks to getting
the club rolls and poll lists and en-
deavoring to check up and arrange
them and in waiting for the public to
report all cases Of wrong doing the
met at Spartanburg on the
24th of September to take evidence as
10 conditions revealed by the thorough
work done there by subcommittee
IF the county executive committee ap-
pointed in pursuance of the request OF
his State committee and resolution
hen passed and continued up to the
meeting held.
We wish to commend the subcom-
mittees Df Spartanburg, Greenville,
and Anderson counties for
he thorough and painstaking work
which they did in this cause and to
say that they showed a determination
@ get at the facts whether they sus-
aimed or refuted the political views of
he members. Their reports and tran
scripts of the records are herewith
The committee went from Spartan
,urg to Greenvllle and from Green
lille to Anderson and took such evil
Ience as was available, but it desires
O call attention to the difficulties of
IS work. 1t has no power to swear
witnesses or to require them to at
end or testify; it had no power to
equire county committees to send up
copies of records, and county and
.lub officers refused in many instances
O do so; it could detect wrong doing
,nly from the records, as it was not
.ossible to investigate A counties and
interview the voters or any number OF
hem to ascertain if there were ru-
nors, nor could it require the rumors
@ be verified by the oath OF parties
to know the facts. 1t could
only diligently consult the records,
which would not be likely to be in con-
lition to reveal the wrong, and call !
IN the public to furnish the evidence, !
he contestant having announced that
le had none to furnish.
Big Vote Suspicious.
The first circumstance 10 arouse
suspicion was the enormous increase
in the vote over vote Of former years. !,
Applying the rule that there IS one !
;,,l, Tn tho