The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-01-15
THE PRIMARY REFORM.
How to Get It-Final Article on the
Subject.

nary reforms. Those against change
cloak their purpose. They do not de-
fend present conditions, that is a
hopeless task. They stand oack and
object to each change suggested, say
ing it will take the ballot away from
the poor man or the man who can
not write. These objectors give no
reasons for their charges, nor do
they offer other measures. Men
are expected to follow them blindly.
Every man should do his own
thinking about these primary
changes. The troubles are before
US. and known of all men who care
to look. The remedies proposed are
easy to understand.
The Remedies.
Record the poll lists at the court
house before and after voting!
Permit the voter to enroll on only
one club list, and only in the pre-
cinct where he lives or works.
Identity the voter at the ballot
box.
Where important requirements are
violated hold another election.
These safeguards are those advo-
Gated by experienced party workers
from all sections of the State. They
have been gathered from discussions
on many occasions during many
years. Leaders in the legislature
who oppose extreme measures came
to a pretty general agreement at the
last session to support bill embody-
ing these points. Let us examine
them, taking the last one first.
The Penalty.
Penalties are seldom enforced.
Why? Because they seek to punish,
but not remedy-directly.
The law says the manager who
does not carry out the rules, shall be
punished. But the defeated candl-
date doesn't care to prosecute him,
the public is not interested enough
to. Neither are out for revenge, nor
seeking the unpleasant task of pre-
venting future fraud by present pun
ishment.
The candidates are interested IN
the immediate outcome, though.
They and their friends will go to a
lot of trouble to locate fraud if it will
do them any good. Give them the
right to new election whenever the
law is violated in the important par
ticulars and they will watch for ire
gularities like hawks. Then viola
tions of rules will Immediately defeat
their purpose and become useless.
Mind you, new elections would be
held only when important, specified
infractions of the law could be
shown, not for trivial irregularities.
This would necessitate making
each step in enrolment and voting
plain, and open, and recorded where
all men may examine what has been
done.
To-day everything is so obscure
that even where much fraud is prov
ed, and more believed, it is about inn
possible to upset an election. This
power to upset an elecon would be a
a weapon dreaded more than any
punishment of managers now set
!. down in the law books.
Protecting the Lists.
It is absolutely necessary at any
kind of an election to have correct
list of those entitled to vote.
The club rolls should be made up
some weeks before the election and
sent to the county clerk of court.
Shortly before the election the clerk
should send copy, of each list to
the election managers of each club.
After the election the county eXecu-
tive committee should send the rolls
back to the clerk.
This system allows the lists to be
examined by all interested parties,
and opportunity to have names put
on or taken off on proper showing,
before the election. After the cleo
tion any one may compare the vot-
ing list used with the copy kept by
the clerk, and the failure to use the
proper list becomes a matter of re-
cord
At present, even when the rules
are carried out. and poll list is
used, it is about impossible, in the
five days now allowed to check it up.
How can candidate in populous Sec
tions tell in five days before the elec-
tion whether the names put on at the
last minute are fraudulent or not!
The candidate is helpless.
Identify the Voter at the Ballot Box
Managers in big voting precincts