The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-10-05
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THE PRIMARY SYSTEM
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Columbia, Oct 1.-When the pri-
mary system was established In South
Carolina, its purpose was to give tie
white people of the State the right
SO choose their officers among them
selves and to present solid front ia
she general election, thus eliminating
all d1ngsr of the negro vote as b:;-;
ance of power. The old convention
system had led to ring rule" in
which the masses Of the people had
practically no voice, and the reform
movement of thirty years ago adopt;
ed the primary as method by which
The white people might express their
voice in their oveInment and their
choice of those who should administer
their governmental affairs. That the
primary, honestly and fairly admin
istered, is democratic, has been prov
en-. That it is the most Ansidious form
of autocraey and oppression when un
Justly administered, is like''jr
known to all men in this Stat Who
have participated in primar1e s"r
the past several years.
The trouble with the primary of to.
day is that its machinery has passed.
into the hands of the anti-reform
6Sacti an of the Democratic party,
which fought it's adoption in the lat
ter eighties and early nineties, and
under Their administration of it ring
rule has returned in worse form,
because it now hides under the cloak
of the primary system. And, in this
connection, the pitiful spectacle is
presented of Senator Tillman being
: hand-in-glove with his enemies of the
early reform days, of a free primary
and of the reform party.
State conventions Of the past sew
eral years had t'Gkered with the pri-
mary rules until they got them out of
all adjustment, and then in 1915 tney
enacted these rules into statute law.
To-day, in Greenwood cou2ty, there is
specific instance of how, under these
rules, now on the statute books, the
people would be denied rather ,nan
guaranteed the free expression OF
their will in a Democratic primary.
Some weeks ago Senator J. K. burst,
Of that county, resigned, havI ing been
appointed clerk of court. It will be
necessary to mold an election prior to
the meeting of the next legislature to
choose his successor. The last prim-
ary in Greenwood was held more theln
"A year ago. If primary were held
at this time in Greenwood county for
the purpose Of nominating Senator
Durst's successor, the white men OF
eGhat COUNTY who have become twenty
sone years of age since the summer of
1876, residents of the State who have
showed into the county more than six
Enorths ago, ard under the primary,
uules would be entitled to vote in
regular election year, and residents
of the county who have moved from
one voting precinct to acother in the
scoas1ty more than sixty days ago, and
who likewise under the primary rules
would be entitled to vote in a regular
election year, would all be denied
She7r right of ballot, because there is
mo provision i'll ,le primary rules,
now the law, for opening the books
of enrolment for special election.
Hence it has baen determined to hold
NO primary in Greenwood county to
nominate Senator bursts successor.
The people will go into a general
election. Lieutenant Governor Be-
thea has ordered the election to be
held on Tuesday. November 6. The
books of registration will be opened
on next Tuesday, October 2, at which
time those qualified may register for
participation il the general election
a eaonth later.
This is a glaring instance Of how
the present system. with the machin-
cry in the hands of the anti-reform
party, which fought the primary from
Its inception hinders rather than
helps a free ballot, even when the
rules as they are now, after being
sampered and tinkered with by the
anti-referm party, are administered
under the law-for, after careful
.scrasiny OF the primary act; the at
%orpo,, 4onnaro1's offoa hae foun1 mn