The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-08-13
ADVERTISING RATES;
VOTING DISCOURAGED.

lost by a cOnSlderaO Die majority.
: Very little interest was mani
tested. less than 500 votes were
cast in the entire county. At a
number of the precincts the polls
were not opened and at places
that were opened the voters did
not turn out. This election in
Florence should be warning to
other counties; under our laws,
the requirement to present regis
tration certificates and tax re-
ceipts at the polls tend to dis
courage voting, there should be
a change made in the law. Only
persons having deep interest
IN a question will go to the
trouble to hunt up a registration
certificate and tax receipt to
vote; if this is to be the effect in
general elections where the issue
of bonds and other matters are
to be decided affecting the tax
rate, how much smaller will be
the vote in the primaries. should
the requirement be made?
The more we think of reform
ing the primary laws, the more
we are convinced that it would
be an exercise Of good judment
to simplify our primary regula-
tiors rather than to place ob-
ssructions in the way by extra
ordinary requirements. If the
voice of the white people is de-
sired, then do not attempt to
stihe that voice by forcing them
to go to extra trouble to become
eligible TO enfranchisement,
everything should be done to
encourage the citizen to take an
interest in public affairs. We
have not the least doubt but that
the requirements to vote on the
bond issue in Florence, had much
to do with the smallness of the
vote, many would uot go to the
trouble to find their certificates,
but had the law been less cumber-
some and drastic, a different re-
suit so far as numbers are con-
cerned, would have obtained.
Take the Nicholson bill that
is pending in the senate, recently
published in the News aud Cour-
Ter, a reading of it will convince
the masses that it is cumber-
some-.-too much red tape, and
so complicated it requires a
pretty good lawyer to compre-
hend its provisions: law such
as this will never do, there is
no necessity for it. We believe
the primary laws should be
changed in some particulars,
but we do not go so far as to put
the white voters in the position,
with regard to the primary, that
was expected of the negroes in
the general election.
The primary is for the pur,
pose of securing a party noml-
nee, and, the white men of the
State, with but few exceptions,
are Democrats, therefore, we dc
not see the wisdom of enacting
laws which will have a tendency
to curtail the white vote further
than to protect the primaries from
fraud, this can be done effective.
ly by simple amendments to the
present law and rules, viz. Have
all Of the present club rolls de-
stroyed, permit no one to be
eligible to membership of a club
unless he has been a resident OF
the township where he proposes
to vote, at least three months
prior to the primary, and in the
county one year, do not allow
more than one club in town
ship, require the secretary of the
club to register every white
citizen in his township in a book
provided for the purpose, said
book shall constitute the town
ship club roll, when a voter ap-
plies to vote if his name is not on
the township book he shall not
vote, this would eliminate double
or false voting; delegates to the
County Convention to be
chosen by the clubs upon a
basis Of the vote cast in the pre-
vicus primary. In our judgment
these changes would provide
ample protection, at the same
time no white voter would lose
his right to a voice in the gov
ernment. Under this scheme
there would be no more padded
conventions, as has been the
case in the past, because the
delegates were sent to the con-
vention upon the club roll basis,
clubs that contained the names
Of those who had died or moved
away, or were enrolled on other
clubs. We know of clubs that had
representation in conventions
with delegations that cannot poll
one third of the number their del
egates assumed to represent, but
if the basis Of representation
was upon the number of votes
cast, there could be no false
representation.
The latest addition to the CUB
ernatorial contest is Hon. r. A.
Cooper, of Laurens. Mr.. Cooper
is now tho Solicitor of the EIGHTH