The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-09-18
News and Curier.

expressing an earnest desire of
immediate action in the matter of IN
vestigating the alleged frauds and ir-
regularities Of the recent primary held
In South Carolina and condemning
what he deems the arbitrary action Of
Chairman w. F. Stevenson, Of the
investigating committee. appointed
by the State Democratic executive
committee. the Hon. ]. d. Bivens, of
Dorchester. a member Of what has
been termed the Blease faction of the
| investigating committee, gave out for
publication last night a letter from
Senator b. r. Tillman to the Hon.
John Gary Evans. chairman Of the
State Democratic executive committee.
In which Senator Tillman, marvelling
at the forebearance and patience dis
played by the Bleaseites at the de-
lay In declaring the election or taking
action Of some kind. urges the State
chairman to proceed with dispatch,
lest the temper Of the people Of South
Carolina be tried beyond endurance,
and lest the method now being en-
ployed send the Democratic party in
this State to "the demnition bow
vows"
Mr. Bivens was in the city last
night. and In an interview with a re-
porter Of The News and Courier de-
clared that as a member Of the in
vestigating committee and as a citi-
zen Of the State. he desired a thor
ough investigation into the fraud
charges. that the purity Of elections in
this State may be preserved, but that
the manner Of procedure as outlined
by Chairman Stevenson was physical
ly impracticable and could not be ac-
complished within the time interven-
ing before the general election in No
vember.
MY plan." said Mr.. Bivens. "was
to have the committee as a whole sit
as Court; go to Spartanburg or An
derson. or wherever there was the
charges of greatest fraud, employ a
stenographer take testimony and af-
fidavits and proceed with the work.
Meanwhile the work In other counties
might be going on and that could be
taken ~ later. Ii strikes me as ut
terly impossible to take up the club
rolls and poll lists of every precinct
In the State. and as for having them
published In the newspapers. that
seems to me to be out Of the ques-
tion. In Charleston. believe. your
city rolls alone required more than
eight pages in The News and Courier.
The general election Is to be held in
little more than six weeks-there's no
postponing that--and the work as
outlined by Mr.. Stevenson, could
scarcely be gotten under way vel! by
that time"
We can't hold our meeting in CO.
Iumbia tomorrow. continued Mr..
Bivens. because there will not be
quorum. have letter from MIR. w.
IL. Wilson. Jr., of Rock Hill. to the
effect that he would be glad to pro-
ceed at once but that he will not at
tend meeting except at the call OF
the chairman" 1T Is recalled that in
joint letter from Messrs. j. d. Biv-
ems. j. NJ. Greer and r. VI. Jeffries.
the three committeeman who are re-
ferred to as the minority. or Blease,
members, the other members Of the
committee were called upon to meet
at Columbia today and proceed with
business. In the letter published be-
low Mr.. w. Il. Wilson. Jr.. states his
position. The News and Courier is in
receipt of letter from Mr. #. Booth
Butler. Of Gaffney. another member of
the committee. which in substance is
similar to the Wilson letter. he also
declining To attend committee
meeting in Columbia today.
Mr.. Bivens stated last night that as
a member of the sub committee ap-
pointed by Chairman Stevenson to in
Nestigate the fraud charges In the
esatern section OF the state, ne Is per-
fectiy willing to proceed as best he
can. but that ne regards the scheme
as impracticable. He. with Messrs
Wilson and Jeffries. was appointed for
Eastern South Carolina. and Mcssrs
Butler, Park and Greer were ap-
pointed for the western part of the
state. This action was taken at the
meeting of part of the committee.
M"ssrs. stevenson. Butlcr and Wilson.
III charlotte ON Monday of last week.
Mr.. BiVcns regards this step as an ar
bltrary act on the part of the chair
man. for, rs he iDterpr,te il tho Man