The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-09-24


also be recalled that one of my oppo-
nents laughted at me, saying | was
making charges because l saw de1eal
staring me in the face.
When it appeared on the face CT the
newspaper returns that l had ma
jority of the votes cast, and had
without doubt been renomlnated TOR
a second term, the cry OF fraud was
Immediately raised, even in the face OF
the facts l have ABOVE recited. Tie
first cry of fraud was based on SEEM
ing discrepancy between the vote for
governor and the vote for United
States senator and other State ofhcers,
which at first was paraded Dy the
newspapers as something like 10000,
Notwithstanding the fact that the
newspapers must have known that the
vote for governor was almost COM
plete, and that the vote in the races
for other State officers was far from
complete, Anderson, at that time, 1or
instance, not having reported It's vote
for United States senator. TO one
who took the care to study the re-
turns even for moment, the absurd
ity of this charge as basis for fraud
was easily apparent, and, of course
this matter was only urged In order
to incite the people and prepare them
for other charges to be made, and as
soon as it's absurdity became appar-
ent on it's face, it was dropped. Then
came as basis for the charge OF
fraud the fact that the vote was some
$4,000 in excess of the vote in the prl-
mary two years ago. This was per
sistently urged. Mr.. William Murchl-
son, of Dillon, requested statement
from Mr.. E. Dana Durand, director
of the census, as to the number OF
white males in South Carolina Il
years of age and over, as returned Dy
the censuses OF 1890, 1900 and 1910.
Mr.. Durand's statement was publish
ed in the Columbia State, and showed:
Total white males II years OF age
and over in South Carolina-l9lO,
165.769: 1900, 13O,375; 1890, 102,657.
Mr.. Durand said: ''You will note that
these figures include the forelgn-Dorn
white males who may, or may not'
be voters, but, as their numbers are
small, it would not materially affect
the total" si3lA
Basing the estimate upon the figures
for 1890, 1900 and 1910, and figuring
upon the increase in the two decades
included, the number of white males
in South Carolina p years of age and
over for 1912 is placed at about 174,-
600. The total vote cast in the first
primary en- August q was about l4O,-
600, which leaves a margin of about
$4,000 white males over 21 years OF
age in South Carolina at this time
who did not participate in the pr1-
mary
1t has been shown that in Chester
county, where the votes of the two
candidates for governor were about
equal, the increase in Chester's vote
over 1910 was 80 per cent, and mo
protest or contest was filed with the
GChester) committee when they met
and tabulated the returns and declared
the results In calculations which
have been made, it is shown that An
derson, one of the strongest Blease
counties, had an increase of 26 per
cent; Orangeburg, strong for Jones,
an increase of 81 per cent; Green
vile, for Jones, the unprecedented in
crease of 76 per cent; Spartanburg,
for Blease, increase % per cent;
strong for Jones, increase
90 per cent. These calculations were
based upon the figures furnished by
the Columbia State of August 81, in
which the Increase for the State was
shown to be about 81 per cent.
The subcommittee of the State exc
:utive committee has as its chairman
4 man whose political activities in
South Carolina during the past sever
II years have been particularly bitter,
md whose personal and political hos
alitv to me is too we'll known to need
comment. He mas on his side a ma
iority of his subcommittee, notwith-
standing the practice in contests of this
kind is that when candidate On the
face of the returns has nomination
hat candidate is entitled to major
,ty of the investigating committee on
fraud charges, and the contestant is :
entitled only to minority, or, at
least, only to an equal share Of the
sommittee This subcommittee has de-
,ayed its first meeting, for one reason
Or another, until next Tuesday, which
is four weeks after the first primary
and only six weeks before the general
election. In the meantime, in viola
hon of tn constitution and rules of the
party, no results have been declared
nor any second primary ordered in
those races for State officers in which
there is not even the shadow of a con-
test. The chairman of the subcom-
mittee, in refusing to meet in Colum-
6ia on last Monday, at the urgent re-
quest of three members of his com
mittee, said there were as yet no
charges of tangible nature to be in
Vestigated.
l have said nothing up to this time
because l had believed that there
would be some reasonable end to the