Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-09-03
TO INVESTIGATE PRIMARY.
Executive Committee VIII Look Into
the Matter Tomorrow.

the Matter Tomorrow.
The charges Of illegal voting in the
primary last Tuesday will be rigidly
probed by the executive committee Of
the Democratic party, according to a
Columbia special to the Spartanburg
Herald. The committee held two ses-
sions Friday and adjourned until to-
morrow at noon, when the investiga-
ton will begin of the specific charges
already filed and such additional
charges as may be brought. The fol-
lowing resolution, offered by Mr.. W..
F. Stephenson, was adopted:
Whereas, an unprecedented vote Is
reported and widespread charges Of
fraud and irregularities have been
brought as to the election on the state
ticket, and 1t Is the duty Of the COM
mittee to see that whatever nomina-
tions have been made have been hon
estly made, and II the charge Is true
1t shall be corrected, and II not true,
1t shall be refuted and the primary
served. -,
Resolved, That the chairman shall
call on each county chairman, where
fraud or Irregularities are charged, to
take charge Of the club rolls and COM
pare them with the poll lists, and COM
pare the poll lists with each other, and
take such evidence as shall be aYaila-
BILE and pertinent and send UP such
club rolls and poll lists or certified
copies of the same to this committee
and report all irregularities.
Resolved, further, That the chair
man of this committee do furnish such
assistance to the respective county
chairmen as may be necessary to IA
cilitate the completion Of this work,
and that the candidates for governor
be each allowed q representative at
such hearing If desired.
Resolved, further, That this COM
mittee hereby declare 1t to be its pur-
pose to see that every effort be made
to see that the primary be honestly
conducted and detect and punish all
frauds committed, v1ndicate the pri-
mary system and rid 1t Of all imputa-
tions Of crookedness and to call on all
citizens to cooperate with this COM
mittee in such work and save the pri-
mary system from destruction. This
committee calls on citizens and espe-
cially all members Of the executive
committee and all club officers to
swear out warrants for pei sons Wolat-
ing the primary laws in connection
with the said election and have the Of
IeuueTS UOuIlu OFcT " CouiI'
The above resolution, which was
generally discussed by the members, IS
the sum and substance Of the work
accomplished at the meeting of the ex-
ecutive committee today. Several
members objected upon the introduc-
ton Of the resolution on the grounds
that there was no fraud reported In
their counties The resolution was
ably defended by Mr.. Stevenson; the
position Of Governor Blease was fully
explained to the committee by Eugene
Blease, brother Of the governor, and
his substitute on the committee from
Newberry county. Members Of the ex-
ecutive committee made T. plain that
the nomination for governor and
other state offices would not be de-
thorough investigation. was able to
write the words "clean and fair"
across the nomination. Mr. Stevenson
made it very plain that 1t was not the
intention of the Jones members OF the
committee to show favoritism, but that
If illegal votes were found for Jones,
they would be thrown out. The men,
bers Of the committee express them
selves as being in favor Of investigat-
ing the situation to save the primary
law from destruction in South Caro-
lima. Every charge or intimation OF
fraud in the state will be carefully in
vestigated.
At the meeting today Christie Ben
ct, the secretary. said that the govern
or Of the state had criticised him and
that he desired that special commit
tee be appointed to investigate the
charges. He said that the governor
had charged in a public speech that he
had not sent q sufficient number OF
tickets to Pickens and Lee counties.
Mr.. Benet showed that he had sent
out $4,000 tickets to the various
counties. After some discussion, w.
T.. Crews Of Laurens; r. I. Manning
of Sumter, and ]. A. Willis Of Barn.
WELL were appointed as members of a
committee to investigate the charge by
the governor. The committee will
make q report at the next meeting OF
the committee on Wednesday.
-During the fiscal wear ending Au-