The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-12-24

mittec has not been able to locate
them"
over night some one had stolen the
records from the ballot boxes. A ia
miliar device Of Tammany thugs in
the good old days practiced right
here In farming county Of South
Carolina. The chairman was honet
and sincere though, when he called
this "rninor irregularity" for every
enc OF us who has anything to DO
with our election management sees
rules so violated on every hand tha.
only downright bribery Is considered
serious.
Vote Early or Not at All.
In another important county 1t Is
no uncommon thing for a voter to
ind on going to the polls that some
one has already cast q ballot In his
name. Friends who had this ex-
perierce laughed to me about II as a
part of the regular order Of things
remarking, next time we must be
at the polls when they are opened"
The state executive committee called
on the party authorities from that
county for a report on the elction
and tine reply was mo irregularities
found" There, SO mild term as
"irregularity" is too harsh name
for the most fragrant frauds and ev-
erything goes.
Why Rules Among Friends?
In still another big county the To-
cal executive committee found
among other irregularities that
Men were allowed to vote whose
names were not enrolled on the club
lists;
At one box 1928 names were found
after most searching examination to
be fictitious;
The average Of the poll lists OF all
the county boxes showed from 10 to
Is per cent that could not be identi-
ed;
At other boxes 240 names of
actual persons were found apparently
10 have voted from two to five times;
and after making allowances for a
possible proportion as proper large
number were seen to be repeaters:
In a very few instances was the
Ilub roll certified to;
Rvstanders were called in by man
ayers TO assist in counting the bal
iols, one Oh whom did destroy or az
tempt to destroy tickets:
Managers Of election were net
sworn and other voters took no oaths
Yet this committee In summing up
sroko Of these things az 'numero is
.:'egularities." but found no evidence
Of fraud.
Summarized In Another Way.
Managers omit to take the honesty
Cblgating oath the party rules re-
Qu.re.
pisregarding the rules they allow
men to vote whose names are not on
the poll lists;
These voters and others caat their
allCts without swearing an t. their
qaaiifcation: though the rules Co.
mand the oath;
Uncertifed poll lists With dead
r'en'S names by the score and scores
CT other men who had moved away
wiitten on loose sheets VI paper snd
In old books years ago. were used.
But mind you. the party rules re-
alire each list to be certified to by
the officers Of the clubs.
Where We Arc At.
but sufficiently illustrates the free
md easy condition We have reached,
when the most glaring infractlons Of
party rules are held in tho highest
quarters to be merely Irregularities
and that do not impair the integrity
OF tho election.
Who to BlanaOc
Don't blame the managers. All Of
us are to blame. For years we have
shouted from the house tops. 1t Is
better that ten dishonest men should
vote than that one honest man bo'
deprived" We have tolerated and in
sisted on these lax rules and laxer
enforcernents until any man can vote
be he resident or nonresident. over
age or under age. whether he has
voted before ten times or not a, all.
a Remedy.
Does 1t not seem to you that the
time has come for us to replace this
loose systeIn that leaks like a sieve
at every point by law that will be
ont La,