Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1913-04-10

N
cord by Passing o Law to Prevent
Practices, i'm Primaries, Special,
General and Other ElectiOns-BM
introduced and Championed by MIR.
Justice.
News and O~bserver.0
One of the first bills introduced in
the House OF Representatives during
the recent session of the General AS
sembly and one of the last ratified was
that by Representative =. J. Justice,
lnf Guiiford, "to prevent corrupt prac-
ftices In the primary, special, general
land other elections" commonly
known as the Justice corrupt practices
act. The passage of this act marks
a distinct and gratifying advance to-
wards political purity in North caro-
lima and will prove far reaching in its
results and effects.
While the act is an innovation In
North Carolina and is rigid in its pro-
visions, it met far less opposition in
| committee and on the floors OF the
House and Senate than was generally
expected. And the few amendments
| adopted are not calculated to AXE
i the law. Other measures less radical
| and untried innovations. If this law
lis enforced, it will greatly curtail the
expenditure of money in primaries IN
North Carolina and will reduce the
practice of other evils in politics to a
minimum. And there is no good rea-
| son to expect that it will not be en-
forced.
Practically every section of the act
lis interesting. and as it is one of such
! vital Importance to the people as a
whole and to the political life of the
/ State. it is published in full. The full
text follows.
Text Of the Act
Section /. That any person who
shall hereafter, in connection with any
lprimary, special, general, or other
elections held, being held, or about to
be held in the State of North Carolina,
do any of the acts and things declared
in this section to be unlawful, shal be
i guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon
conviction, shall be fined or impris-
soned, or both, in the discretion OF the
~court. 1t shall be unlawful for any
persons (a) to fail as an officer or as
a judge or registrar of election, or as
La member of any election or canvass
ing board, to prepare the books, tick
cts, and return blanks which 1t is his
/ duty under the law to prepare or =
fail to distribute the same as required
by law, or to make the returns, or
perform any other duty within the
time and in the manner required by
law; OBJ to continue, or attempt, to
act as a judge or registrar of election.
or member of any election board, after
Having been legally removed from
such position, and after having been
given notice of such removal; (c) to
break up or by force or by violence
stay, Oh. interfere with, the holding of
any election, or with the possession.
by the proper officers, of any ballot
boxes or election books, or tickets, or
return sheets, by those entitled to the
possession of the same under the law,
or to interfere in any manner with the
performance of any duty imposed by
law upon any election officer or menu
Der of any election or canvassing
board; I'D to be guilty of boisterous
conduct so as to disturb any member
Of n election or c~anvassing board
or any judge or registrar of election
in the performance of his duties as
imposed by law; (e) to bet or wager
any money or other thing of vlaue
on any election; f) to directly or in
j directly discharge or threaten to dis
charge from employment OF otherwise
lintimidate OF Cypress any legally
qualified voter ON account of any
vote such voter may cast, or consider
casting, or intend to cast or not tC
cast, or which he may have failed tc
cast; (g) to directly or indirectly
spend or contribute any money OF
other thing of value to aid in the cam
paign or election of any candidate
for any Office in a primary or in 6
general election unless the same BIZ
reported Immediately to such candi-
date, to the end that it may be report
ed by him i'm the reports required ot
him by law, or unless such contribu-
ton shall be reported to the campaign
committee of such candidate within
the meaning of Campaign commit
tee" as herein defined. The tern
"campaign committee" as used in this
subsection shall embrace only sucI
committees as are designated by can
didates for Office before primary cleo
tons and reported to the Secretary
of State at least thirty days before
such primary elections by those who
are candidates for any Office embrac,
ing a greater territory than a county
ard reported to the clerk of the Su'
perior court in the county of the can.
didate at least thirty days prior to the
primary election by those who are
candidates for any Office to be voted
for only by the electors in a particu.
lar county or subdivision thereof. Il
shall be the duty of each candidate t.
receive from such campaign commit.
tees, and of each campaign commit.
tee of each candidate TO give to thu
candidate appointing such commit
tee all the information they may have
and for such campaign committee and
candidate to5embrace such information
in the reports required of them by law,
and it shall be unlawful for the candi-
date and members of his campaign
committee To fail t0 dr. so. (h0 VIII