The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-10-05
state Democratic executive commit

| "'"lo DeHocTatlc executive commit
| tee yesterday:
The committee appointed by YOU to
investigate the primary election held
for the nomination OF State officers
on August ~. and especially in rela-
ton to the office Of governor. respect
fully reports that upon entering upon
the work assigned this committee
realized that there were only three
sources of probable informa ton. to
wit:
l. The evidence furnished by The
contestants.
2. The information coming from
the public generally.
3. The evidence to be gotten from
the records OF the Democratic party
From the first source we have re-
ceived nothing.
Inc reasons for this are stated In
the letter which is filed herewith, and
were also stated orally by cousel for
the contestant, Judge Jones. No evil
dence was offered by him.
From the public we realized that
we could expect general charges and
specific instances If the public should
be asked to cooperate and to send
In affidavits, provided there should be
anything to report. To give the public
thorough opportunity to do 50 the
chairman called on the public gener-
ally to furnish information and gave
two weeks for this to be done. and
a good many responses were made.
all OF which are hereby transmitted
to this committee.
From the public records the most
| reliable evidence must come. In or
der to get this the county chairmen
and members Of the executive COM
mittees we're called upon to furnish
copies Of club rolls and poll lists and
the newspapers were asked to pub
lish 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 irregu-
lar was big undertaking, but
through two subcommittee 1t was
undertaken, and the result will be
'tated below. See exhibit "a"
Some Refused to Work.
Some Of the county chairmen re-
fused to do anything, some did not
even answer the inquiries and re-
guests, 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 general
ly published them. and in some in
stances had the copies made up and
published them. for which this COM
mittee especially tenders them its
thanks.
After devoting two weeks to get
ting the club rolls and poll lists and
endeavoring to check up and arrange
them and In waiting for the public to
report all cases Of wrongdoing the
committee met at Spartanburg on the
oath OF September to take evidence
as to conditions revealed by the thor
ough work done there by subcom-
mittee Of the county executive COM
mittee appointed In pursuance Of the
request Of this State committee and
resolution then passed and continued
up to the meeting held.
Some That Worked.
We wish to commend the subcom-
mittees Of Spartanburg, Greenville
Greenwood and Anderson counties
for the thorough and painstaking
work which they did In this cause and
to say that they showed determine
ton to get at the facts whether they
sustained or refuted the political
views OF the members. Their reports
and transcripts Of the records are
herewith submitted.
The committee went from Spartan
burg to Greenville and from Green
vile to Anderson and took such eyi-
dence as was available, but it desires
to call attention to the difficulties Of
-
It's work. 1t has no power to swear
witnesses or to require them to at
tend or testify; 1t had no power to
require county committees to send up
copies Of records, and county and club
officers refused In many instances to
DO 30; 1t could detect wrong doing
only from the records, as it was not
possible to investigate forty-four (44
counties and interview the voters or