Atlanta Daily World

McKaine Files Contest For Johnson's Seat

BV STAFF CORRESPONDENT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)—Armed with affidavits from citizens declaring they were mistreated during periods of registration and on General Election day in last year's heated political activities, Osceola F. McKaine, candidate for the Progressive Democratic Party for the office of U.S. Senator from South Carolina, entrained for Washington via Seaboard early Tuesday morning to file a contest in the seating of Governor Olin D. Johnston, candidate for the same office from the South Carolina Democratic Party who was declared elected.

The action completed an authorization of the third state convention of the Progressive Democratic Party which met here November 17 and which reported election violations in seventeen of the state's forty-six counties. The convention also voted to undertake court action and PDP headquarters announced Tuesday that this action will be undertaken shortly.

INTIMIDATION CHARGED

While details of the affidavits McKaine carried are not made public, a reliable source said they covered general problems members of the PDP and at least one other party faced in attempts to register and vote. Earlier complaints, expected to be covered by the affidavits, included such as occurred in Marlboro county when more than 150 race members were refused registration the first day by the board on the ground that "we did not know whether or not they were citizens," a member of the board told state Chairman John H. McCray by telephone. In Williamsburg county the board refused throughout the registration period to register Negroes unless they submitted to ridiculous tests, after which they had to have the approval of an eight person board created specially for passing on Negroes eligible to vote but for whom no authorization is given in state codes. In Colleton county several Negroes seeking to register were refused until they wrote the board for permission to register and in Newberry county only Negroes holding property could register despite a statute provision for non-property owners.

ELECTION CHARGES

The PDP convention reported that while every effort was made to prevent Negroes from voting in the state and participating in elections of the white Democratic party, on election day white party workers, in charge of the General Election, inveigled and misled Negro citizens, most of whom voted for the first time, into voting for the white party's candidates, headed by Governor Johnston whom Negroes consider more bitter and vicious on Negro issues than the late "Cotton Ed" Smith. In most cases, these workers simply handed the voter the regular ticket and if questioned, replied that "this is the ticket you want." A few instances of police participation with approval of election managers are reported as covered in the affidavits and refusal of election managers to display all parties' ballots so that voters might obtain them.

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McKaine Files
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It was not known here Tuesday whether Mr. McKaine would appear before the credentials committee of the Senate Tuesday or Wednesday. The new Senate opened Wednesday on which day swearing ceremonies were to be held.

The contest is brought on the grounds that the conduct of both registration and the election was such as to abort the wishes of the people and to deny the power of the ballot to certain citizens.