The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1912-10-02

TO serve the people-these all count
for naught,-Anderso Daily Mail.
The Primary's Honesty and Its Judge.
Discussing the action of the Lau
rens county executive committee in de-
claring that the primary election in
Laurens county was free from frauds
and Irregularities, and replying to a
letter of the county chairman, the
Laurens Advertiser says:
Just to show how preposterous is
the claim that no fraud or irregu-
larities' existed in the county. 1t is
only necessary to state that the COM
mittee did not even have all of the
club rolls at the meeting. How would
a committee go about comparing poll
ing lists and club rolls when no club
rolls were in hand to compare with?"
Have the members of the county
committee and the chairman in Lau-
rens asked themselves who is the final
judge, who is the supreme court" in
this controversy?
Have members of committees and
chairmen in other counties asked
themselves these questions?
Have the citizens who interfered
with the State committee in Spartan
burg considered what they were do
ing?
Regardless of what C, nittees,
whether State or county, ma. do and
say, the decision at last rests with the
qualified voter. The man who voted
in the primary took an oath to sup
port its nominees. He entered into
a contract when he participated in
the primary but fraud yitiates any
and all contracts, provided, Of course,
that the fraud was substantial.
The honest man who voted in the
recent State primary will abide by it's
results unless he be clear in mind
that its fairness was destroyed by ir-
regularities and frauds. The presump-
ton is in favor of the primary's fair
conduct. The participant can not af-
ford to temporize and compromise
with his deliberate and solemn pledge
and he has no right to be influenced
by evidence Of technical Irregular
ties here and there. His duty is to
vote in the general election for the
primary nominees in the absence of
proof that convinces his mind and
conscience, after searching examina-
ton, that the primary was degraded to
the plane of fraudulent transaction.
"A man can do no more dangerous
thing than to tamper lightly with the
oath that he has taken.
But, when this is said, let it be re-
membered that the man, after all, is
the judge. He is the supreme
court" and the day of the general
election is his judgment day. No com
mittee's deliverance can bind abso-
lutely any mans conscience or bring
him to participate in future primaries
in whose fair conduct he can have
no confidence.
Furthermore, it is sheer nonsense
to talk about carrying an election by
resort to force. Supposing that a sin
gle election should be carried in that
way, what good would it do? Sooner
or rather, if the white people divide.
elections will be orderly and honest.
No faction or party has monopoly
Of mere courage and fighting ability
and every rational man knows it. Be
sides, let it be remembered that mem
bers OF Congress, Presidential electors
and Legislators who elect Senator's
are chosen on the same day that Gov
ernors are chosen. Congressman
Senators and electors are chosen for
the United States, not solely for South
Carolina. II the white people be di-
vided, both sides will get hearing
from the United States and the United
States will take hand as party to
the controversy. The United States
viii never permit one faction of white
men to override the wishes of an
other by force and arms in South Car
olina or in any other state.
In this day only imbeciles and
noisy fools talk about riding to the
fetlocks OF their horses in blood on
election day That sort of thing has
played out. In 1876 the white South
was solidly arrayed in defense of it's
civilization. We are discussing now
white South divided
The declaration or decision of