The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1913-06-13
To the Editor of The State:


"The primary must be reformed.s,' n
This is tho slogan which eveSY
thoughtful patriot should iteratS S7ad
reiterate until the result has bee
achieved.
In the seven months before the
next session of the general assembly,
our legislators should be constantly
reminded of the demand for this rem
edial legislation. Let not the lessons
of the last year be forgotten. Let
the representatives of the people
have no excuse for thinking that
their constituents are Indifferent T.
this reform. If the public deila
is unmistakeable and unrelenting, the
representatives will not disregard It..
Hence the matter is in the hands Of
the people. Now is the time-now,
every day until next session and un-
til the victory is won. Let the peo-
pie not go to sleep on this job, but
have convictions and make them
know by private and public EXPIRES
sion. IL,
What should be the features of the
reform provisions? Let everybody;
think. Let each one search his ex-
perience and talk to his neighbors.
Managers of elections have had ex-s
cellent opportunities to observe and
should offer suggestions to their leg
islators. I do not propose to solve
this or any other problem all at once
The object of these articles is more
to stimulate the thought of the peo-
pie than to give instruction. l am
proceeding in leisurely way, and
leaving much for future discussion.
The readers mind may run ahead.
which is all the better. He will see
later whether we reach the same con-
clusion. Every man should do his
part to find the true conclusion, and
when we can recognize that it is
found we should get behind it and
push it through to realization in law
and practice.
Last fall we read in the newspap-
ers many communications aimed at
the right result-perfect fairness to
each and every voter. But some of
these proposals indicated lack of un-
derstanding of the machinery of cleo
tions. Thus some of the suggested
provisions, intended as safeguards,
YsEs ,S,,|Eie.Y useless red tame, likely 70 proys
violative of fundamental rights.
One suggestion was that each vo-
ter should, when he puts his name on
the club list, receive a certificate
which, when he votes, he must attach
to his ballot, and only ballots with
certificates so attached should be
counted. This would require a new
registration certificate for every cleo
tion, even for the second primary,
which would be burdensome and
would cause many men to disfran-
chise themselves by neglecting to
register. Further, it would make the
counting distressingly slow. The
chief objection, however, is that it
would be destructive of the secrecy
of the ballot. 1t is not merely the
ballot but its secrecy that has been
the bulwark of popular government.
If the voter must openly proclaim
his choice, he may be overpersuaded,
or browbeaten, or later punished for
his independence by determinations
against him in many, ways. OF
course, the courageous and the
strong usually make known their
positions and often advocate one man
and oppose others. They do not need
the protection of secrecy and they
waive it. But there may be numbers
of others whose fears of certain per-
sons would deter them from openly
voting as their own judgment die
tate. The law should protect the
weak, whether the weakness be in
this worlds goods or in character.
Moreover, secret voting removes
much of the temptation to vote buy
ing and selling-bribery at the polls
for there is then no way to know
whether the ballot is cast as promis-
ed.
So sacred is the constitutional |
right to a secret ballot that man
of sensibility feels the impropriety
of asking anybody how he voted, just
as he feels the impropriety of in
curing of juror about the proceed
lngs in the jury room. AS juror or
as voter, the individual, just so he
is not corrupt, in entitled to immun-