The tri-weekly news. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1865-1876, 1865-09-26


the lower country, and also in sheiipperI
country, in o less proportion, ,Sa Juld, in
some way and to some extent be count.
ed. This is due the lower country,
where there is sucha large preponder.
ance of that class of persons The
Federal basis of representation in Con-.
gress, counting tbree.fifths of the ne.
groes, would seem to be just and right
1t was the compromise agreed on by
the trainers of the Federal Constitution,
and no doubt founded in wisdom. *
The question Of suffrage, and who
shall exercise that right, of voting in
South Carolina, is one Of grave impor.
tance, and must be settled by you in
your new Constitution. In 1890, the
State Constitution declared that no one
should be allowed to vote unless he was
a iIeeholder or taxpayer and a 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 .one, who were resi-.
dents of the State two years. and of the
Election District six months, previous to
voting. The qualification of freehold
or the payment of a tax was no longer
required. 1T was thought proper atthat
period that a free white man, who had to
serve in the militia, do patrol duty, work
on the roads, and defend his country in
time of war, should be allowed to vote
for members of the Legislature and other
officers OF the State, without the owner.
ship of y freehold or the payment of
taxes. To extend this universal suf.
frage to the freedmen" in their present
ignorant and degraded condition, would
DC little less than folly and madGess. 1t
would be giving to the man of wealth
and large landed possessions in the
State a most undue influence in all elec.
tions. He would be enabled to march
the polls, with his two or three hundred
freedmen" as employees, voting as he
directed, and control all elections. The
poor white men in the Election Dis.
tricts would have no influence, or their
Influence would be overpowered by one
man of large landed estate. In Con.
necticut, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and
several other ncn.slaveholding States at
the North, free negroes and colored per.
sons are entirely excluded from voting.
In most Of the Northern States there is
a property qualification required of all
voters, which excludes them. If the
New York qualifications Of freehold
for person. of color voting were adopt.
ed in South Carolina. very few of the
freedmen in this State would ever be
able to exercise the right Of suffrage.
In North Carolina Tennessee, and per.
haps other slavehoiding States, free ne.
groes formerly were entitled to vote,
but tits Understood that they seldom saw
proper to exercise this franchise. g4,y
The radical Republican party North
are looking with great, interest to the
action of the Southern States in refer
ence to negro suffrage, and whilst they
admit that a man should be able to read
and write and have aproperty qualifica.
tion in order to vote, yet they contend
that there should be no distinction be,
tween voters onaccount of color. They
forget that this sis a white mans Gov.
ernment, and intended for white men
only; and that the Supreme Court of
the United States has decided that the
negro is not an American citizen under
the Federal Constitution That each
and every State Of f'the Union has the
nnquestioned rghtof deciding for her
self who shall q 3ercise the right ofsuf.
frage, is beyond all dispute. You will
settle this gravequestion as the interest
and honor of th4 State demand. "A
South Carolira is the only State in
the Union wheh the Chief Magistrate is
not elected by tile people, This should
no longer be thd case. IL ista fnndamen.
tai principle oftle republican, creed, that
the people, in Wisdom all sovereignty is
inherent, should select their own rulers
and representatives. Those powers only
are delegated which cannot be properly
exercised by thd people, 1t is eminent.
" wise and proper that the Governor Of
q State should DRIVE his authority and
election immediately from the sovereign
power of the State. The people should