The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-09-06

| perintendent of education. w. A.
Preacher was ruled out by the county
executive committee because he failed
to file his expense account the day
before the primary 1t was shown by
R. NJ. Jeffries, who represented all
parties in all contests from Jasper
county, that Mr.. Preacher had made
every effort to file his expense ac-
count but that the clerk of courts Of
fee was closed.
The committee was called to order
i at noon in the library at the State
house by John Gary Evans, the chair
man. The roll was called by Christie
Benet, the secretary. Many of the
members who were not present were
| represented by proxy
Secretary Benet stated that official
returns had been received from every
county except Spartanburg.
The protests of n. B. Dial and w.
i J. Talbert against the election of Sen
ator B. R. Tillman and the protest of
Ira B. Jones were officially called to
the attention of the committee by
Chairman Evans. He called the at
tention of the committee to the pro-
tests now being made in several coun-
ties of the State.
The Jones Protest
The protest of Ira B. Jones, candi-
date for governor, was read before
the committee In an amended pro-
test the attorneys for Judge Jones
protested every county in the State
to which objection was made by F. H.
Dominick, representing the governor.
The amended protest and the protest
as already announced by Judge Jones
were read to the committee. The re-
turn of the governor was read by the
secretary in which he denied that
there was any knowledge of fraudu-
lent votes and in which he claimed to
have been honestly and fairly elected.
For Committee of Seven.
At this point in the meeting Richard
1. Manning, member of the State exc
cutive committee from Sumter county,
took the floor and introduced his res
olution providing for a committee of
seven to make g thorough probe of
the alleged election frauds, and if nee
essary to postpone the second primary
until the matter was finally cleared up.
Mr.. Manning said that an unusual sit
uation had been brought about and
that it was the duty of the executive
] committee to probe every charge and
to be preDared to write clean nomi-
nation. He said that the State execu-
tive committee was responsible for the
situation for "the primary elections
are conducted under conditions that
are unusual to say the least" He
thought that the conditions around
! the primary elections was loose to al
most a criminal degree; He said that
| it was not question Of Jones or
please, burt that of a fair expression
IF the voters of the State He thought
# was the dutv of the executive COM
! mittee to see that all charges of fraud
| we're proved or disproved. He did
| not believe that the committee should
| ignore the charges of fraud. He told
| of the protests from the individna'
Democrats, from the communities.
from the counties and even from the
candidates. Mr.. Manning said that
| thare wec so much at stake and that
| it was not a question Of men, but a
~restion of the rule of the white peo-
| D'e OF tue SIdIe. ne luOuSHl IL a
question of whether the voters of the
State were to continue under the pres
Mt urinary plan or whether conditions
would demand a radical change in the
system. He said that the voters Of
the State expected second primary
next Tuesday, but that time would be
required to make an investigation of
all of the charges and that if necessary
the second primary might be put on
until all charges had been cleared up.
Mr.. Blease's Reply.
Eugene Blease, a brother Of the
governor and the member of the COM
mittee from Newberry county, made
a reply to Mr.. Manning. Mr.. Blease
opposed the resolution and charged
that not one specific instance of fraud