Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-06-17
LET EVERYBODY REGISTER
Governor BIease Wants All White
Men to be on the Lookout.

Governor BIease Wants All White
Men to be on tho Lookout.
To the Democratic Voters of South
Carolina:
! desire to call your attention to the
fact that the amendment to the Con-
stitution of the United States provid-
ing for the direct. election of United
States senators by the people has been
ratified by sufficient number of
states to put the amendment into eff
feet and that this ratification by suf-
ficient number Of states has been an
nounced by Hon. William ]. Bryan,
secretary Of state Of the United
States. .~
Although South Carolina has not
ratified this amendment, yet under the
Constitution of the United States /
suppose she will be bound by it.
1t Is now rumored that certain
South Carolinians-some native born
and some by adoption without the
states CONSENT regret they are
South Carolinians-are endeavoring to
have congress place a provision in a
law to be passed under the new amend
ment to the effect that in those states
in which a primary is held by a party
for its candidate, no person shall be
allowed to vote in said primary except
he be qualified to vote in the general
election. This effort is being made In
an under-handed manner. / now give
you notice that 1t Is being made, in
order that you may go to your super
visors of registration and get your
registration certificates and be fully
prepared to protect yourselves when
the time comes. The books Of the su-
pervisors of registration should be
open on the first Monday of each
month at your county seats, and your
supervisors Of registration should
make proper arrangements to see that
every man who is entitled to be regis
tered is registered. The respective ex-
ecutive committees of each Demo-
cratic club should see that every mem
ber Of every club has his name upon
the registration books. No white man
in the state should wait for somebody
else to attend to 1t for him, but should
ready for the fray when 1t comes.
I do not believe that your legislature
Is going to place any such restrictions
upon your state primary, nor do be-
lieve that your state convention will
place any such restrictions around
your state primary, but we can not
tell what effect these under ground,
stab-in-the back, cheap politicians
may bring about in Washington, in
order to deprive a certain element of
the white people of the south and of
our state Of participating in the pri-
mary, particularly in South Carolina,
because they have heretofore been de-
feated or now see defeat staring them
In the face.
l feel that 1t is proper that warning
should be given you, and that it Is my
duty as your governor to give it, and
l now do so. l can only give the warn
Ing, as I feel it is my duty to do. If
you fail to heed it, and find yourself
deprived of the right Of suffrage, you
will have no one to blame but your
SELF Go to the supervisors of regis
tration. If they fail to register you,
report them to me. If there is any
board Of registration in the state
which refuses to register the white
voters, l will relieve them from duty
and put in a board that will
I have sounded the warning. That
Is all can do. l beg you to heed it.
Very respectfully,
Cole L. Blease,
Governor