The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-08-30
THE ELECTION MIDDLE.

county Is all in a muddlc. On the
face OF the unofficial returns the pro-
hioiti' nists won by a majority of
twelve votes. On the face of the Of
hcial returns as originally tabulated
by the commissioners of election, af-
ter certain ballots had been thrown
out on account of palpable irrcgulari-
ties, the prohbitionists won by ma
Jority of two votes. The result, as
officially declared by the commission
ers of election, after number of
ballots had been declared irregular
and Illegal, on the strength of an-
davits and rulings based on tech
nicalities, gave the victory to the dis
pensary by majority of four votes.
BY this process of elimination the
dispensary was given possession of
the field of battle by q narrow mar
gin-very narrow. but sufficient to
serve the purpose and re-establish
the dispensary, If 1t can be made to
hold. The prohibition forces Won the
first skirmish in that they pollcd a
majority of the ballots actually cast
I'm the election, thereby demonstrate
ing that popular sentiment is an
tagonistic to the dispcnsary. The
dispensary faction came out victorious
IA the second engagement, having, by
the adroit use of technicaitics, ap-
parently overcome the popular YER
dict. and holds an official title to the
election. AS possession Is generally
conceded to be nine points i'm law, the
dispensary faction now has decided
advantage over the prohibitionists
The claims OF the dispensaryites are
buttressed and bulwarked by the de-
cision of the commissioners of elcc-
tion and they are entrenched in
strong position, created for them by
legally constituted board that is
biased in its opinions and rulings. For
the prohibitionists to overcome the
advantage that the dispensaryites
now have ii will be necessary for them
to prove to the state Board of Can
vassers that the decision of the coun.
ty commissioners of election was not
in accordance with the facts nor
warranted by law. For The pro-
hibitionists to win the legal battle the
state Board of Canvassers must com
plctely reverse the findings of the
commissioners and by SO doing set its
proceedings of the commissioners of
election. The State Board must de-
clare in unequivocal terms that the
commissioners of election disregard
ed facts and misinterpreted the law
in order to revise the returns of the
managers of election and make pos
sible the wiping out of the prohibition
majority and the creation of an ap-
parent majority for the dispensary
II is needless to say that this is an
achievement that is difficult of at
tainment. That the dispensary lead.
ers were cognizant of the fact that
the declaration of the election i'm their
favor by the commissioners of cleo
tion would be their strongest card
was evident from the very inception
of the legal battle which they waged
with technicalities as their sole am
munition. They won their point and
the commissioners of election declar~
ed the election, not on the face of
the returns of the managers, but ON
the returns as revised by the com
missiOners of election. The dispcn-
sary leaders and their attorneys won
u victory but IL is a technical and
tactical victory and great many Of
the people of Sumter county, both
diSI~usary and antis will he hard to