The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1912-09-11
AS TO TIE MATTER OF GAN INJUSTICE
Editor The Manning Times:

AS TO The MATTER OF IAN lNjuSlICE -
Editor The Manning Times:
In your issue of the 4th inst,
you published an article headed,
ssAn Injustice in which you
criticise rather strongly Though
I must concede not caustically)
the local correspondent OF The
News and Courier and The State
for sending those papers a report
ssthat there were intimatlons or
fraud in Clarendon county" IN
the late primary election. AS [
am the accredited local cores
pondent of the papers referred
to, I must ask that you allow me
a little space for a word of ex-
PLANTATION.
IN S::.e cr>t piece. ! wo.id say
n ali kindness that yoo Aave in
:b!s 5asc3aca .iClas&I 2 rule Of
journalism tia ~ &aV" your-
self c!:e& III yOuH aeseDse on
f,faI@: CJ>-S >ii:;lS. i>:i1 >j.a IS that
YOU nave crliIclsed a writer with
ont reproducing the matter under
criticism. In order to make my
self clear before your readers |
will ask Won to reprint in this
connection the local report re-
ferred to, which is as follows:
Manning, August Sl.-Speciai: While
the abnormal increase in the number OF
votes cast in Clarendon county in the
election last Tuesday over the second
primary Of 1910, is about on par OF that
in Anderson for instance, yet there were
no protests fled before the executive
committee. MANY believe, however, that
there was 8 great deal of fraudulent
voting in this county. 1t is openly talk
ed on the streets that 8 number OF men
voted In Manning and then vent TO
Silver and voted again. Something OF
this kind is regarded as the only reas-
enable explanation of the 25 per cent in
crease in the county vote in two years.
It is generally known that q great deal
OF interest was taken in the second pri-
mary OF 1910, and that hat was regard
ed as full vote was brought out at that
time.
Again, it is charged that a certain
young man IN Manning, VINO swore that
ne was under Is. ard not liable to street
tax this year, also took the oath that he
was q qualified elector and voted for
Bsease last Tuesday. 1t is understood
that prosecution will be Instituted in
this case. How many other cases there
were of this kind or similar kind can
not be conjectured and cannot be made
to appear without thorough eXamina-
ton of the club rolls and poll lists. This
may be prevented by technicalities or
the plea OF expense.
Now, it will be seen from the
above that T did not say that the
vote here was NEARLY as great
an increase as there was in An
derson," but that the increase
here was about on a par Of that
in Anderson, which any careful
reader, i submit, would under
stand as meaning the rate as per
centage of increase. If you will
take the figures given in the re-
turns you will see that the rate
of increase in the vote of Ander-
son and Clarendon counties in
the recent election over the Sec
ond primary of 1910 was practi-
cally the same, about 25 per cent.
Now, bear in mind thatI was not
writing a signed communication
to argue a point or to discuss the
fluctuations of. the vote in the
primary elections for any num-
Ger of years past. ! was simply
sending the newspapers q local
report about election &2"ics. then
suppermoSt ia every ones mind.
I said, many believe that there
was q great deai Of fraudulent
voting in this county" You know
this was a fact-many believed
it and did not hesitate to say so.
I said, sit is openly talked on the
Streets" etc. You must have
heard such talk, or at least heard
of it, for you are generally we'll
posted on all matters political. l
said. sit is charged that a certain
young man." etc. You know that
such charge was discussed, for
you published more details about
it than 7 did or than I heard.
Now. in conclusion, let NE say
thas if. after reading the report
I sent off, and from what you
knew of your own knowledge,
you had concluded that an injus-
tice was being done TO the coun-
ty and had charged the ofense
to the citizens who were openly
talking on the streets about fraud,
then you would have had some
ground to stand on; but as it is
you have put the cart before the
horse, and as it were overlooked
the defendant in the case and
pronounced Judgment against an
innocent witness. Or, in other
words, however unintentionaliy,
you have assumed the absurd at.
titude OF the man who put his
clothes to bed and folded himself
over the back of a chair.
Very Respectfully,
A. S. TODD.