The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1912-09-04
Committee Meets Today to
Start Probe.
TO PROSECUTE
ILLEGAL VOTERS
Following Wholesale Charges Of Fraud
and Irregularities, the Executive
Adjourned Friday to Meet Again To-
day to Go Into Fraud Charges.


The charges of illegal voting in the
primary last Tuesday will be rigidly
probed by the Executive Committee
of the Democratic party. The COM
mittee after two sessions today ad-
journed until next Wednesday at
noon when the investigation will be-
gin. Several specific charges have
been filed with John Gary Evans, the
chairman.
The following resolutions by w.
f. Stevenson of Cheraw, were adopt
ed by the committee:
Whereas, an unprecedented vote
is reported and widespread charges
of fraud and irregularities have been
brought as to election on the state
ticket and it is the duty of this COM
mittee to see that whatever nomina-
tions have been made have been
honestly made, and if the charge is
true 1t shall be corrected and If not
true it shall be refuted and the pri-
mary election system vindicated and
preserved
Resolved, that the chairman
shall call on each county chairman
where fraud or Irregularities are
charged to take charge of the club
rolls and compare them with the poll
lists and compare the poll lists with
each other and take such evidence
as shall be available and pertinent
and send up such club rolls and poll
lists, or certified copies of the same
to this committee and report all ire
gulations.
To Punish Fraud.
Resolved, further, that the chair
man of this committee do furnish
such assistance to the respective
county chaimen as may be necessary
to facilitate the completion of this
work and that the candidates for
governor be each allowed a represen-
tatiye at such hearings If desired.
Resolved, further, that this COM
mittee hereby declare it to be it's
purpose to see that every effort be
made to see that the primary be
honestly conducted and detect and
punish all frauds committed, vindi-
cate the primary system and rid it
or all imputations of crookedness,
and to call on all citizens to COOP
crate with this committee in such
work and save the primary system
from destruction. This committee
calls on citizens, and especially all
members Of the executive committee
and all club officers, to swear out
warrants for persons violating the
primary laws in connection with the
said election, and have the offenders
bound over the court"
The above resolutions which were
generally discussed by the members is
the sum and substance of the work
accomplished at the meeting of the
executive committee today. Several
members objected upon the introduc-
tion of the resolution on the grounds
that there was no fraud reported on
their counties. The resolution was
ably defended by Mr.. Stevenson
Blease's Position Explained.
The position OF Governor Blease
''Ao huiiJ ShpioiiCu W Iut
by Eugene Blease, brother of the
governor and his substitute on the
committee from Newberry county.
Members of the executive commit
tee made 1t very plain that the nom
ination for Governor and other State
officers would not be declared until
the committee after thorough in-
vestigation was able to write the
words, "clean and fair" across that
nomination.
Mr.. Stevenson made 1t very plain
that 1t was not the intension of Jones
members on the committee to show
favoritism but that II illegal votes
were found for Jones that they would
be thrown out. The members of the
committee expressed themselves as
being In favor OF Investigating the
situation to save the primary law
from destruction in South Carolina
Every charge or intimation of fraud
in the state will be carefully isves-
tigated.
tho YnaatIn0 4ndo1