The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1914-05-27
SWEEPING CHANGES
IN PRIMARY RULES
Enrolment Must be Made
in Person.
TO PURGE ROLLS
ELECTION YEAR

and Rules Of Party to Safeguard and
Reform the Primary. No Democrats
Disqualified.
Columbia. May 21.-Swceping chang
es In the rules and constitution to
safeguard and reform the primary
elections were passed by the State
Democratic convention which ad-
journed sine die late this afternoon
after session lasting two days The
convention worked steadily through
out the day and all during the after
noon, refusing to recess for dinner.
The determination of the convention
to carry through the report of the
overwhelmingly majority of the com
mittee on constitution and rules was
shown in the steady manner which
IT proceeded to reject amendments af-
ter amendments which were raincd in
following the tabling Of the minority
report of the committee. 1t was $50
o'clock when the motion to adjourn
was carried.
The main fight OF the minority was
made on the report OF themajority
Of the committee which called for
personal enrolment and providing
for a residence Of two years in the
State, one in the county and 60 days
in the voting precinct as qualifca-
tions to establish residence before
being eligible to participate in the
primaries. Strenuous efforts Of the
minority to knock out the personal
enrolment were unsuccessful as
heavy majorities were recorded time
and again in favor of the majority
report. An amendment by Senator
Clifton allowing the voter to enroll
by either applying to the secretary
of his club in person or on written
application signed by witness was
rejected by vote OF 256 to SIS.
The last fight Of any note develop
ed on the substitute which former
Gov. John Gary Evans offered for sec
tion II of the majority report. This
substitute required the club books of
enrolment to be closed on the last
Tuesday in July, and three days trere-
after each secretary is to transmit his
original roll to the county chairman,
who shall file certified copy with
the clerk Of court. Ten days before
the first primary. the county commit
toe Is to have published in some
newspaper Of general circulation in
the county a notice OF the meeting
OF the committee which shall then
purge the rolls, hearing and dispos-
ing Of protests and contests which
may come up. NO name shall be
stricken from the club rolls without
three days notice by mail to the per-
son to be purged. The originals duly
certified to are to be returned to the
secretaries Of the respective clubs
and list Of all names added or drop
ped by the committee filed by the
chairman in the clerks office, the rolls
and lists to be at all times open to pub
lie inspection. No person whose name
vote. The managers Of election af-
ter they have counted and declared
the vote shall return the rolls to the |
secretary OF the club. If the original |
roll Is lost duplicate Of the copy on
file in the clerks Office shall be furn-
ished the secretary Of such cluD. This |
section was finally adopccd over
whelmingly and after some discussion
an additional section offered by w. N.
Graydon, providing that in case the
find more votes in the bal
lot box than there are names on the
club rolls one OF the managers shall
proceed to draw out the excess votes,
was adopted.
A resolution Of thanks to w. G..
Shrine Of Greenville, Senator b. f..
OF Edgefield and Senator
Noils Christensen OF Beaufort for the
time and work they did in preparing
the new rules. was adopted amid
cheers. The new rules provided for
the convention to elect the chairman
Of the State Democratic executive
instead OF leaving 1t to
the executive committee as has been
the custom.
Mr.. j. J. McSwain OF Greenvile,
nominated Ex-Gov. John Gary Evans