The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-06-04

Saturday night about 11.15 the pe-
titions asking for an election en- the
dispensary were filed with the county
supervisor. There are thirteen hun
dred names on the twenty eight pe-
titions filed with the supervisor. ac-
cording to statement made by Mr..
j. ii. Clifton this morning. Mr.. Cliff
ton filed the petitions with the super.
visor.
Besides the dispensary petitions
there are a number of anti-dispensary
petitions filed with the supervisor with
five hundred and twenty-five names
attached. However, these petitions
VIII not be considered, as it is under
stood that Supervisor Pitts will order
the election If he finds that one-third
OF the qualified voters Of the county
have signed the dispensary petition,
as the law requires. The NAMES on
the dispensary petition will not be-
taken off, 1t Is understood, even If
they have been signed on the anti.
dispensary petition as Supervisor Pitts
on this point has secured the legal
advice from Mr.. l.. d. jennings,
county attorney, who. it Is stated,
could find no law on the subject and
advised in the absence of law cover
ing the matter that no change be
made In the files Of the petition after
1t was filed with the supervisor.
Before the supervisor, in the per
son OF Mr.. r. l.. Mcleod, the clerk To
the county board, now looms up a big
task. Mr.. Mcleod will have to go
over the dispensary petitions name by
name comparing those names on the
petition with those on the registration
books and canceling all names on the
petition which are not on the regis
tration books as only registered voters
are qualified and the names of all
unqualified voters will have to be
stricken from the list. This NAV nor
De considered as such a difficult task
at first, but when ii Is considered that
there are thirteen hundred and eighty
hve names TO be gone over, and these
names In no regular order according
to township or otherwise, and COM
pared with the names on the twenty.
live registration books for each town
ship and ward in the county, in which
the names are kept in no regular al
phabetical order, some idea Of the
tediousness of the task can be gather
ed. And then. If possible to make the
task still more difficult, the petitions
have to be compared with the county
treasurer's books to see If the signer
Of the petition paid his poll tax six
months prior to the time of the cleo
ton. for If he did not he is not n
qualified voter, unless he Is exempt
from poll tax The task will take up
considerable time and will at al
events prove a very tedious one.
Supervisor Pitts has decided not to
allow the petitions to be handled by
the public until after this comparison
has been made. 1t Is now, therefore.
impossible to say whether or not the
dispensary election will be ordered, as
there Is always a large number of
registered voters who do not pay their
poll taxes until the sheriff or magis.
trate comes to them and il Is also
probable that there are quite num-
ber OF names on the petitions of per-
sons who have never registered.
In order to call the election there
mus be on the petitions at least 1907
names. there being 5000 names on the
county registration books IL is prob
able that there are not this many
voters in the county, as i'm the election
OF last summer, when practically ev-
erybodybody voted. the number OF
votes cast was only 22OO. Besides this
1t Is known that a great many of
those names are on the county regis
tration books have died or have NOV
ed out OF the county.