The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1865-09-20
In considering the question of nopnlation. ills

In coustderlnS the question OF population; ills
proper that the freedmen" who take the places
of white men in the Lower country, and also in
the upper Country. in less proportion, should,
in some way and to some e&teDt, be counted.
This is due the lower country, where there is snch
alarge prcpondcrance of that class of persons.
The Federal basis of representation in Congress,
counting stIree.ffhs ofthe negroes would seem
TO DC just and right It was THO compromise
agreed on by the trainers Of the Federal Consti
tuition, and no doubt founded in wi=doFs. ~.
The question of Suffrage, and whN shall exer-
else the : si,: Of voting in South Carolina is one
of grave Importance, and mus: be settled. by you
in your new Consultation. In 1890, the State
Constitution declared that no one :shoald be al
lowed tevote unless he was q frceholder or tax
Rayer and free white man OF the age Of twenty
one Years. In 1910, the right of suffrage was
extended to all free white men Of the age OF
twenty-o&c, who were residents of the State two
years, and Of the Election District six months,
pre- vious to voting. The qualification of n free
hold or the payment Of a tax was no longer re-
quired.; 1t was thought proper AFT that period
that free white man who had to serHe in the
militia, do patrol duty, work on the roads, and
defend hi1 cenntrJ III tiplc OF war, should be al,
lowed to vote for members of the Legislature
and other officers of tho State without the own
ership of . freehold or the payment of taxes.
To extend this universal sutferagc to the 'freed-
mon" in. their present ignorant and degraded con-
diton, would be.lttlc 3rss thar, folly and mad
ness, It woald he giving to the man of wealth
and large landed possessions in the State most
undue Influence in all ELECTIONS. lie would be
enabled to march to the polls, with his two or
three hundred ''frecdInen" as employees, voting
as;he directed, and coatro!c all elections. The
+i,o
hare no influence, or their. influence would be
ovcrpoWer"d. .by one man Of large landed estate.
In Connecticnt, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, AMI seve-
raj other nonlsaveholdine States, at the Moth,
free negroes and co!ored persons arc entirely
excluded from voting. In most Of the Northern
States there is property qualification required
of all voters; which cyclut1cs them. If the New
York qualification of freehold for person of
color, voting we're adopted in Soath Carolina
very few of tho freedmen in this State wouia
ever be able to. exercise the right Of suffrage.
In North Carolina, Tcnness :, and perhaps other
slsrcholdiug States, free negroes formerly were
entitled to vote, but IL is understood that they
seldom s.w proper to exercise ttiS franchise.
Thearadcs! Republican party North ere LOOK
fag with great iatcrcStto the action of inc South
.ern States in reference to negro suffrage, and
whilssthey admit shat n man should be able to
read and write and hayGsa property qualification
in order TO vote, yet they contend that there
should be no distinction between. voters on ac-
count of color. Incy forget that this is white
ma rs goveriincnt and intended for white men
only alidzthat the Supreme Court of the United
States has decided that thencgro is not an Amcri-
can citizen under the Federal Constitution. That
-eaS;tIsl.t csery Site OF the union has the uil-
questioaed FTSHC OF
=, IF oil
putc. You will settle this grave question as the
intcrcst and honor Of the State demand.
South Carolina is the only State in the Union
where the Ci4itf Ma eiEtrate is not elected by the
spc0pfe This should TO logger he the case. II
is fundamental principle of the republican
creed, that the people, III whom all Sovereignty
is Inherent should select their own rulers and
Representatives. Those powers ouly are dele.
gated " hieh cannot be properly exercised by the
neoplc. Itis eminei1tly wise and proper; tkat
the Governor Of 4 State should derive his
authority and election Immediately ftom the soEe.
reign power of the State. The people should
elect their chief Magistrates, mcmb: rs OF Con-
gress and members Of the Legislature. 6tTing
done this, the minor Offices might, be filed by
appointment and the people relieved OF tie trou.
bic. loss Of time, aud Generalization in making
these petty elections. Wl,eh the Governor has
been elected by the people, he might safely be
entrusted with more power than he has ever e1er.
cised,in South Carolina. lie shocld &C, made re-
eligible, or elected for a longer teEni than. two
yea,s. He should be required to live at the
seat of Government, and should receive assalary
sufficient TO defray oil his necessary expenses.
The General Assembly of South Carolina is an
ELECTORAL College for the State as we'll as LHgis
lative body. Theyha the election Of Cover.
nor, Electors of President and Vice. President,
acknowledgements, United States Senators,
judges and Chancellors, all State officers, Magis.
trates, Commissioners of Roads and Bridges,
Ponr5aud Free Schools Commissioners and Mas
ters i'm Equity, and various other officers. This
embarrasscs legislation, occupies great deal OF
theztinle OF members, and is productive Of evil
consequences Thczmost Of these elections and
appointments should, be taken from the Legisla-
ture - -! se-... =. z. p. ~ -.
The election Of Presidential Electors by the
Legislature is clearly usnrpatioR on the part OF
that body, and Which no other State III the Union
.tolerates at the present time. The Federal Con.
stitution declares th.t seach State shall appoint
in SIX h manner as the Lesisature thereof mag
direct, Electors Of President and Yice-PFesident.
The Stateaad not the Legi$lufare is to appoint
Electors. The LeqisLdtureisto TO 'ditectn the man
aeT'' of appointing only. The People are the
State and ShouId "sppoiht, - No one will con-
tend that the Legislature, which represents the
staie, is the State itself. This gross error will
no doubtbez corrected by the fret Legislature
which assemblies under tour new Constitution,
and it may be well for you to express q wish for
its correction.
The appointment Of The State officers might be
giyentothe Governor, with the advice. aud con-
hent Of the Senate: He might also With great
.proprieby be empowered 10 make the appoint
inent of many ofthe District offieer, and thereby
relieve the people OF fruitful source of demoral.
ization In making these petty elections. The
question is suggested for your consideration.
In all elections made by the Legislature, tie
voting should be rtua poee, 50 that each members
constituents might know how he yot2d j. The
ballot is secret aud eoncealst the Representative
yute ffoni his constituency. The people have q
rieht to- know how their rcprese voted IN
elections aa well as in Legislation. In all cleo
ITEMS bg the people, the hHilot is certainly the
proper mode, for it enables every man to vote
independently, aceordiug to his own eonFictions
Nc sRlan.has any right to know or question his
vote. He votes as q sovereign: But the repre-
sentatiresFot for others, and they have right
to know his vote. -.
= re would be well to consolidate the Treasury
Department. The. State Of South Carolina is
neither so large nor SO wealthy as TO require two
Tseasurers. The Secretary of State and the
S,,rvaraS. General should be required to keep