The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1914-02-11
PRIMARY QUESTION IS
CONSIDERED BY HOUSE
Four Bills Now on Calendar. Mem.
bers Give Views For and Against

| pSAo Ni'C IlCNS FOF anu Against
| Reform.
Columbia. Feb. 5.-Primary reform
and the best means to secure it 'oc-
cupied the attention OF the House this
morning for most Of the session, and
were discussed again tonight. -Four
bills having this general purpose are
on the Calendar, and amendments in
troduccd today will have the effect
prac tically of bringing new measures
before the consideration Of the body,
as they are Of SO sweeping nature
as hardly to be considered as amend
mcnts, but as bills themselves.
Mr. Riley, Mr.. Nicholson and MIR
Rittcnbcrg have prepared measures on
Tic primary, and the judiciary com
mittce, to which they were referred
prepared substitute for the bills of
Mcssrs Riley and Nicholson and re-
ported the Rittenbcrg measure favor
ably with certain amendments. Mr.
Stanley and Mr.. Gasque, as a sub-com-
mittcc from the committee on privi-
lcgcs and elections, introduced still
another bill on the same subject.
"lf today's session serves as any
indication of the temper Of the House
some bill will be passed to change
the primary laws, and the question is
simply one of judgment on which Of
the proposed bills and amendments
! should be selected.
| Only one speaker. Nh Irby, Of Lau-
rcns, took the position that the pres
| cnt laws were sufficiently strict and
should not be revised, and Mr.. c. g..
wycheb, spartap'SNrg, Introduced a
cry - bill. Mr.. Wychc giving 1t
as ,H!s opinion that only slight rcvis-
!'yon was necessary.
The bill introduced by the judiciary
committee has been prepared with the
cooperation Of Governor Blcasc,'
said Mr.. Stevenson, Of Chesterfield
in defending the bill. Mr.. Stevenson
took up in detail the bills introduced
by Mcssrs Milcy and Nicholson and
pointed out what he thought were
their principal Weaknesses, and which,
he said, did not appear in the com
mitt2c bill.
In the first place, the bill by Mr..
Milcy prvoidcS no salary for the coun-
ty registrar, and places in the hands
Of a single man the power to decide
whether or not citizen Of the State
shall be entitled to vote" said MI
Stevenson. Il am Of the opinion that
we could not get a capable man to
take the Office absolutely without
pay, and further, that the board OF
commissioners should consist OF moro
than one man
Mr.. Stevenson then explained tho
committee bill. Briefly, its provisions
are:
Provisions Of Bill.
That all political parties in this
State which poll as many as 10000
votes for the head Of their ticket shall
be entitled to have registration for
voters in their primary elections.
That On or before February | OF
each election year there shall be ap-
pointed a board OF three men for each
county, to be known as the board OF
primary registration. These are tC
be appointed by the governor on rec
0mmcndaton OF the county dclcga.
tons, and that they shall receive the
same salaries as members of the
county boards Of registration.
That the books OF registration shall
be kept open from April | to August
| of each election year in the Court
House OF each county and one day In
each township, notice to be given by
the supervisor in the papers of tho
date of opening the. books in the town
ship.
Requirements OF one years resi-
dcncc in the State and three months in
the county for registration are pro
vidcd in the bill The voter must take
the oath that he is qualified to vote
is not already registered and must
give his age and place OF residence
| He shall then be registered and re-
ccivc certificate. stating his age and
place Of residence, name and num-
bcr as voter.
Right OF appeal to the Circuit Judge
| is reserved to those who are refused
| registration.
| On August the books are placed
| in the hands Of the clerk Of Court,
who shall give ono book to each votin q