The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1912-10-02
What MAY BE Done
CHANGE In PRIMARY LAWS MAY
Be RECOMMENDED.
BY ELECTION PROBERS
Sub Committee to Investigate Alleg-
ed Frauds in Recent Primary Not
Likely to Report on Present Con-
test but May Urge Certain Reforms
to Safeguard Future Primaries.

Mr.. S. e. Boney, Of The News and
Courier, writing to his paper from
Anderson, sums up what the sub-com-
mittee may say in its reports to the
full committee when it meets in Co
lumbia to-day. He says mass OF eV-
idence has been placed In the hands
Of the committee, covering about half
OF the counties in the State. Charges
Of fraud have been made In some In
stances, but in most cases there aaTs
been simply the reports OF commit
tees appointed by the county e1ecu-
tive committees as to duplisatioas
and the voting of persons whose
names were not on the club rolls.
Ir short, the evidence submitted to
the subcommittee of probers IN OF
such a nature as to merely give an
investigating committee grounds up
on which to proceed, not to act, in
the sense of whether declaring an
election valid or void.
Roughly estimating the work OF
the committee it appears that about
2,s00 votes have been called into
question. This by no means indt-
Gates that there have been $500
fraudulent votes cast; but, Just that
many have been submitted to the
committee for investigation. This, OF
course, covers only about half the
forty-four countieS Of the State, and
even in those reported, only partial
investigation was made.
It Is estimated that if the reports
were complete from all counties there
would be eight or ten thousand votes
questioned. Just what the commit
tee will do with this information In
hand in reference to the 2,S00 votes
OF character to be questioned, now
before it, remains to be seen.
The subcommittee, Of course, has
given no. indication, during or since
the meetings held in the three big
Piedmont counties, as to what its &C.
ton will be. Neither has any mem
Der disclosed the sentiment OF those
comprising the committee. But spec
ulation has been quite free as to the
possible report that will be submit-
ted to the State Democratic commit
tee.
From the nature Of the evidence
submitted, and taking into consid-
Grafton the time necessary for lega!
proceedings upon which to base 8
contest, 1t is believed in many quar-
ters that the subcommittee will
scarcely undertake to make 2 definite
report on the recent primary. except
az to general conditions. This cor
resp ondent, not endowed with pow
ers ofprophecy, therefore, does not
undertake to forecast what the re-
pert Of the subcommittee will be.
But it is quite apparent that con.
ditions in reference to the conduct In
reference to the conduct Of primary
elections in the State have been re-
vealed in such a light that the com
mittee is almost bound to make some
kind Of recommendations looking tc
changes of the rules governing the
primaries.
Whether or not there will be ma.
jcrity report and a minority report
submitted to the State executive com.
mittee next week remains to be seen
1t is we'll known that the committee
stands three to four Blease and anti.
Elease. On the general proposition
OF needed reforms in the primary, l,
may not be a hazardous guess to pre-.
dict that both Blease and Anti-Blease
members Of the committee Will be un-
tied.
OF course, If question Of the valid
ity Of the denomination Of Governor
Blease in the recent primary is raised
there would doubtless be division OF
sentiment. Notwithstanding partisan.
ship, however, even the possibility OF
questioning the validity Of SO many
votes has planted firmly In the minds
OF those who have attended the hear.
ings Of the Investigating committee
that there are changes that are not
only e1pedient but necessary in the
manner of holding primary elections
in this State.
In all probability the committee,
which has worked faithfully upon the
task assigned 1t, and which has
throughout evidenced a jealous care
Of the purity Of elections In South
Carolina, will recommend that the
Democracy OF this State bestir itself
now and devise some means to safe
guard the primary and prevent
frauds that may be attempted In the
future. S. e. Roney.