The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-12-27
BOTH SIDES BOUGHT VOTES,
COMMITTEES REOPRT SCORES
VOTERS INVOLVED IN GRACE.
WHALEY CHARGES.
Frear Urges That Congress Go to
BOttOm-MajOrity Holds That Case
Has Not Been Proved and Scores
Grace for His Attitude Toward
Committee,

Washington, Dec. ga singing
:ebuke to the electorate Of the First
outh Carolina congressional district
n the primary which sent Represen-
,ative Richard s. Whaley to the house
Is contained in tho report of the in
vestigation committee Of the house,
which for some time past has been
probing the charges filed by Mayor
Grace against Mr. Whaley, in which
he latter was accused Of buying his
seat at cost of something like $6O,-
900 and Of making false statements in
connection Herewith.
II anything Is needed to convince
the voters Of South Carolina that
there Is a crying demand for decency
and honesty in future elections in that
State a cursory reading Of the report
filed today is all that should be re-
quired.
In making the report of the ma
jority, after going over all the testi-
mony given the committee, after ana
lyzing the affidavits filed and after a
careful study OF sections 35s. $50, s61,
1852, 36S, and 365 Of the criminal code
Of South Carolina as pertinent to the
controversy under consideration, the
report says in part:
"a perusal OF these sections dis
closes that repeating, bribery, Offering
to procure votes by bribery, threats
md duress are all made crimes alike
applicable to primary elections and
general elections.
"A candidate for congress must file
with the secretary Of state a pledge
that he will give nor spend money
nor use intoxicating liquors for the
purpose Of obtaining or influencing
votes. His neglect to file such q
violation Of such a pledge nullifies
his election. 1t Is made a penal Of
'ense to give bribe for the purpose
Of influencing a voter, but not to re-
ceive one. and under section 36S one
third OF the pecuniary penalty shall
go to the informer and the remainder
to the State.
1--WE have cited these statutes, both
State and federal, for the purpose of
showing that the moralist, il the
voters at the two primary elections
held In the First district Of the State
OF South Carolina were by Mr.. Whaley
md his friends debauched and the
'normous sum Of money alleged to
have been spent was spent for that
purpose, could, and as the majority
OK the committee believe should, have
resorted to the criminal courts either
OF the State or federal government.
"As we have heretofore pointed
out, the proceeding is not one Of con.
test but Of expulsion. The commit
zee finds that in a proceeding Of this
nature 1t Is without authority 70 SUP
pOena witnesses or to compel the pro-
duction OF papers or records, and it
was therefore obliged to require the
petitioner to present his case by affi-
davits and such witnesses as he might
produce before the committee"
Referring to Mr.. Grace the report
says: His attitude before the COM
mittee was that Of vindictiveness. not
only to the committee itself but to-
ward the individual members of the
committee. A careful consideration
OF Mr.. Grace's conduct and his ad-
mittcd turpitude in the campaigns in
which he has been engaged, the cam
paign for his own election to the Of
fce OF mayor In the city Of Charles
ton. and his admitted conduct in the
two primaries preceding the election
Of Mr.. Whaley to fill the vacancy
caused by the death Of the lamented
Legare. and his demeanor before the
SChNA iSSi5 a ItluJoIlly VI tuS
committee that in this proceeding he
Is actuated solely by his animus to-
ward Mr. Whaley. His feelings as ex-
hibted by his conduct and words
against Mr.. Whaley are malicious and
most virulent. He says that: Il hate
Mr.. Whaley like snake: | hate
him because he is like a snake. and
who does not hate II snake? That all
Of the literature Of the campaign re-
ferred to him specifically as wig
gler and as a man who knew how to
make black white and this is the
characteristic. the snake characteris-
tic, that he is low exhibiting before
your committee"
Referring further to Mr.. Graces
conduct while in Washington, the re-
port quotes from sln editorial in a
South Carolina paper which said:
The completeness OF the fasco