Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1867-11-14
THE ELECTION NEXT TUESDAY.

4 We have heretofore refTalned from any expires
sion of opinion upon the question of Reconstruc
ton under the Congressional plan. First, because
of our unwil;ngness to assume responsibility moi
REQUIRED of us; and secondly, because this paper
has always declined to take sides with any polihca
party upon political questions. In the present as
meet of the Reconstruction question, we feel that
our first objection to advising is not heavy one
and the second one is no longer of force, tor there
can be no party among the intelligent voters Of
South Carolina, upon this subject
Believing then that the plan of reconstruction
now before the people, to be decided on the 10th
and 2Oth of this month, is one Of wrong and IN
Justice to our people, ruinous alike to their pros
perity and peace, and destined if successful, to
convert our land into desert waste, we do moi
hesitate to say that this monstrous wrong should
not be oonsumated, with their sanction.
Have we, the white people Of this State, any
means left us, by which to oppose this measure
We have and the strongest weapon Of self-detence
we can use, is iuaction The following clause from
the military reconstruction Act shows, that in or
der to hold convention, majority Of all the reg
istered votes must have voted either for or agaans
a Convention. We give the paragraph from the
Act:
eff a majority of the votes given on that qu1es
tion flor or against Convention], be favorable
then such Convention shall be held as hereinafter
provided; but, ifa majority be opposed, no such
Convention shall be held under this Act provided
that such Convention shall not be held, unless O
noio,ity of all such registered voters shall have yo
ted on the question of holding such Convention.
Gen. CANBY's order for the election, also states
sThat an election be held in the State of South
Carolina, commencing on Tuesday, the 10th day O.
November, 1867, and ending on Wednesday, the
goth day of November, 1867, at which all registered
voters of said State may vote "For a Convention,
or ssAgainst Convention" and for delegates tt
constitute the Convention-in case majority OF the
votes given on that question shall be fora ConYen
tim, and s c.se u majority of tie registered voter
shall haze uoted on the question Of holding suc'
Conventaon. F.. ......... ... ...
So to hold a. Convention, it is requisite, 1st
That majority of all the persons registered, shall
have voted on the subject of Convention; and
End, That majority of the votes polled be "Fol
10 Convention"
If either of these propositions fail, Convention
cannot be held 1t is apparent then, that any reg
istered voter who is opposed to Convention being
held in South Carolina, can make his opposition as
efectual by staying away from the polls and not
voting, asby going the polls and voting Against
a Convention" Nay, even more effectual; for by
voting on the subject he swels the number of those
registered and voting and increases the chances fol-
the Convention being called under that clause Of
the Act requiring that n,eorty Of those register
ed, shall vote on the question
Now it is safe to assume that all the negroes
that go to the polls will vote 'sfor Convention. "
Many of them, perhaps, may not vote at all ; and
if none of the white people vote there is proba-
bility that less than majority of the registered
voters will vote on the question. IF this be the
case the Convention will be defeated.
If, then, the Conservative white citizens of S.
Carolina are contented with the present Constitu-
ton of the State, and do not desire to naugurate
negro anarchy, we advise them, one and all, to
stay away from the polls on Tuesday and Wednes-
day next.