Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1914-05-07
THE PRIMARY

South Carolina was to fulfil a promise
: made by Tillman, that If the Consti-
titution of 1885, containing limita-
ttons upon the right of suffrage, was
adopted, that no white man, however
1lfterate or unqualified, should be
deprived of the right to vote. In
other words, it was a scheme to evade
the provisions of the Constitution, to
induce the people of the State to
adopt such provisions.
Its practical effect was to permit
every one, with no other qualification,
If white, to participate in the selec-
ticn of all officers elected by the peo-
pie.
This object seems, however, to be
the only one reached, as it was en-
tirely useless and unnecessary, for
purpose Of preventing negro domina-
tion, which had been practically set
tied and disposed of years before, and
of which there was no more jeopardy
than of the bubonic plague.
The increase in numbers of voters
caused by the primary has certainly
accomplished no good result in this
State
Some counties have continued to
send good representatives and some
good state officers have been elected,
but they or perhaps better would
have been elected without the primary
system; and it IS beyond controversy
that the trend has been downward
with increasing rapidity. g.
Why should persons not entitled to
vote, be allowed the privilege? vot-
ing Is the exercise OF one of the high
est prixilaessa- af =aiskEeazhkp-a
the Constitution certain prerequisites
are laid down, with which every good
citizen can comply and should be
made to comply before enjoying the
privilege.
The object of voting is to exercise
sovereignty.
All governments are composed of
the governed and the governing pow
er, which may be man, a parliament,
q congress or legislature. The
stronger the government the less
liberty, the more liberty the weaker
the government, and liberty must be
restrained to give the government
any force, and the force must be re-
strained to give the subject any lib
erty.
If the object of the primary be to
encourage the poor and illiterate
white man to better himself, it GER
tainly fails Of its object, as he is de-
prived of no real right of suffrage
but does his voting in the primary
without any incentive to acquire
either education or property, while
the negro, realizing that he cannot
vote without being legally qualified
Is doing his best in a great many
instances, to so so qualify both him
self and his children.
During the last ten years the we'll
to do whites have become better off,
and the poor and illitefate much
worse of. In 1900 1919 of the peo-
pie lived in rented houses and in 1910
69.46 were stiIl renting, being prac-
,tically no. gain, and it Is harder in
South Carolina today for one Who has
nothing to get something than ten
years since. Lands are muh higher
and SO are all the numberless things
that go to make up living.
As recently said in the daily press,
here is probably no state in the
Forld where manhood suffrage is so
pll and complete as In our primaries
norance is no bar to its exercise
d the restrictions about 1t are so
se that fraud is invited and hospi-
entertained.
pc primary Ianguishes in corrup-
Hest some of the people who do
know how to use the ballot be
Fed of the use of 1t by the adop-
ordinary rules that govern the
ms in every other state In the
and every civilized state on
Even the general elections,
the safeguards which the
PNs szsand 4. IL Hnt ebove