The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1912-09-04
State Committee d
Did Not Declare
Result, Meet Today

-
/; uation to save the South Carolina pri-t
mary law from destruction. Every
/ charge or intimationI OF fraud In the,
State will be carefully. investigated
Harry D. Calhoun, candidate for
! Congress in the Second district last
night wired Chairman Evans, calling
his attention to use Of whiskey and
Illegal voting, In that district and
asked that thorough investig tigation. be
made. 81 "A { i:.jg <. Z! " E5 fs s. ~ 3
~ 52S To Report on Ticket.
+ At the meeting yesterday Christie; !;
Benet, secretary Of the { committee
said that the governor OF the State 4
had criticised him and that he desired <
1ithat special. committee be appointed I
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 ito Pick,
ems and Lee counties Mr.. Benet
showed, that he had sent, out $4,000
| tickets to the various connties. After
some discussion W.T.. Crews of Lau-ts
rens, R. T. Manning Of Sumter and
II. Willis, of BarnWsll were appointed
as members Of a COMMITTEES to sinycstt-
gate the charges by the governor. The
committee will make q report at the
next meeting Of the committee gon
| Wednesday. s, ii II SsS5
r. AT the afternoon session OF the conl-
mittee R, B. Caldwell, Of Chester re-
ported that the special committee
named during the morning to assist
in canvassing the returns was NOT
ready to report, as all of the counties
had not made reports. AIS 3. Isl
Chairman Evans read several tele-
grams intimating fraud In connecuont
with the election in, several counties
Two of the kilograms charged fraud ID
Aiken and Anderson counties. The Or
fetal protest for Anderson county was
lodged with the committee. s..
J" Among the kilograms read was one
from Senator Tillman, IN WHICH me
asked the committee to be very sure
before acting, but If there was fraud
to investigate it and save the primary (
law from destruction. 4 a.s
Several members of.the committee
objected to the resolution as nrst II
| troduced by Mr.- Stevenson on the
ground that fraud had not been
charged in all Of the counties. J.. b
PARK of Greenwood took the position
that il was the duty Of the committee
to canvass all the returns. He thought
that the committee should be In por.
sition to say whether the election was
clean or unclean, fair or unfair.
- Must Be Clean.
eve must be able to say to the /.
world" said MI. Park, 1--WE have held (
clean and fair election or we nave
held an unfair election. II the eiec-5
t;on has been fair we must be able 10
repudiate the charges. think tnat
the resolution should apply to every
countv We must investigate"
The resolution was finally amended
so as to apply only to conntles Wneie
fraud has been alleged. ]. M. Greer
of Union said that he was a biease
supporter, but he wanted sqnare
deal for both candidates. he was
satisfied that there was no lraaa ~
Union county. 'St.l . h,s
Tn reply Mr.. Stevenson stated MS
nosition clearly, Mr.. Stevenson SAID II
was the duty of the committee 70
throw out all illegal votes, no macer
who they we're cast in favor or. he
said that the primary must be saped
and cleansed at any cost.
T 8 Blease of Newberry TOOK tne
aoor before the committee ana Out
lined the position of the governor VIII VIZ
raference to the investigation. he
said that his brother, the governor
was member of the commlttee lroM
Newberry, but did not think 1t proper
to anpear in person. He said tnat ne
had come as representing his protnei,
and that he desired to make seVerai
statements. He outlined his posl1ioh as
q democrat and said all that core -.
please wanted was fair ana aohss'
on,nt" He declared that II his Drotn,
or had not been fairly elected ne uiu
not want the office. .,,,,va
"I have never heard of an execuilYe
committee attempting to DO some.n,n1s i1s
m base rumors or reports salu MI
BleaSe. o++ont;on
- Mr please that official protests nau
already been filed with the commlttee'
NJ PLEASE. in the course OF his speech,
charged that the apparent ma1oles
~ his brother was hurting some peE
ME He discussed the situatlon la
Hewberry and said that he had tr,eu
~ to be fair to the candidacy OF Juage
Tones He referred to minor contess
IN that county. Mr.. Blease expresseu
faith in the members of the execu.ts
Committee and said that ne thouen.