The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1914-05-15
REFORM IN PRIMARY
MUST COME AT ONCE.
Democrats of South Carolina in Coun-
ty Conventions Have Made
Their Demand.
To the Editor of The State:

To the Editor of The State:
The Democrats of South Carolina
have spoken, and in no uncertain
terms, for purer primary election.
How best to accomplish that result
will be the task of the State conven-
ton. l will say in the outset that
personally / am in favor of the same
restrictions being thrown around the
primary that pertain to the general
election. But from the expressions of
the valous county conventions / do
not believe that a measure of that
kind can be carried in the State con-
vention. So far as that restriction
cutting any man out of the right to
vote it is all bosh. Anybody can get
registration certificate if his skin is
white. 1t only shuts out those who
are not residents of the State and
who dodge their taxes, and those kind
of people, 1 make bold to say, should
not be allowed to vote under any con-
ditions.
But great many people who are
in favor of reform in the primary are
timid, and do not care to take a de-
cided stand That is the great trouble
with political conditions in South Car
olina today. The candidates are
afraid of offending some one, and
hence they hesitate to take a decided
stand on any question.
But it is a condition. and not
theory, that confronts the party to-
day. Recognizing that condition,
expect to offer certain amendments
to the constitution and rules of the
party at the State convention on the
goth inst. that will tend to reform
the primary, eliminate fraud to some
extent, at least, and yet not arouse
the fears of the more timid among
our leaders.
My plan, in substance, is this:
Amend the rules so as to allow one
delegate to the county convention
from each 25 votes cast at the first
preceding election of two years be-
foS ,sef fractional majority of %,
votes, and make the polling list of the
club at said primary election conclu-
sive proof of the number of delegates
the club is entitled to in the county
convention.
We thus start right, and on sane
and safe basis, and one which will
admit of no mistake, and absolutely
keep down any cry of fraud in the
county convention.
quire that every man shall join one
club and one only in the township in
which he lives, and that he shall
make written application to the sec
retary of his local club for member
ship in the club, stating his age and
the length of his residence in the
State and county, which shall be one
year in the State and 60 days in the
county before the 11cctte of his enroll
ment on the club list.
Require the secretary to make an
alphabetical list of said names and
file the same with the county. chair
man 30 days previous to the date of
the election. That the county chair
man shall then, within ten days, call
the county executive committee TO-
gether to revise the rolls, strike off
all duplicate names, and the names
of all voters known to have died be-
tween the time of enrolling and the
time of the revision, and that five
days before the election the county
chairman shall deliver a certified COPY
OF said club roll, so revised, as afore-
said, to the chairman of the man.
ayers, which list shall constitute the
registry list, and no person shall be
allowed to vote at any club where he
is not enrolled on said club list.
Then require the managers to take
an oath to allow no man to vote
whose name does not appear on the
registry list, and require them to file
all ballot boxes, poll lists, oaths of
managers and the registry list with
the county chairman within 48 hours
after the election.
With these restrictions, which no
honest man ought to object to. | be-
lieve that we can get fair election
and eliminate fraudulent voting, and
| think that is the only object any of
US should seek to accomplish. | hope
the members of the convention will
think of these things and that they
will go to Columbia prepared to stay
there until fair elections are assured.
Unless the convention rises to the oc.
ccasion and reforms the primary, then
it is doomed. In South Carolina we
have rendered All almost slavish de-
votlon to the party, but such state
of affairs will not be indefinitely con-
tinued, and unless the primary is re-
formed then the primary will be aban-
doned. Those who believe that the
present plan is good enough will be
left to run their own primary, for the
mass of the people demand, and will
have, fair election and all honest
| count. VIM. N. Graydon,
Delegate from Abbeville.