The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1881-05-11
Qualifications Upon Voters.

The momentous questionin South
Carolina up to 1876 was, how shall
the Democrats secure control Of the
State government? In 1878 and
1880 it was, how shall the Demo
Gratis retain control? The question
Of to day, and it is the most mo,
mentous that we have to deal with,
is. How shall the Democrats retain
control of the State government,
and at the same time secure a free
ballot and q fair count? A free
ballot and fair count are necessl
les imposed upon every Democrat
&c government. No government
car long exist without these. With
out these We would soon degene-
rate into anarchy, confusion and
revolution. Without these Repub-
lican government is farce and a
delusion. A people that relies upon
fraud or violence for carrying cleo
tons is destined to speedy demon
alization and ruin. And it is equal
ly true that a government controlled
by an ignorant, irresponsible and
corrupt majority is intolerable. We
must face these questions and solve
them. Howe Several plans are
proposed. One is that the Demo
cratic party, consisting of nearly all
the whites Of the State, shall secure
a sufficient number Of recruits from
the blacks to give them a majority
by allowing the blacks representa-
ton in Offices. For instance, where
a County is entitled to three Repre-
sentatives give one of the places to
q black man, and give him other
Offices wherever he is capable OF
filing them. is thought by some
that this course will break down the
race issue and obyiate all trouble.
But there are many difficulties IN
the.way, and these will be constant
ly recurring at every election. Mr..
Edward McCrady, Jr., Member OF
the House from Charleston, says
that the solution of this question is
in raising the standard of citizen
ship and imposing qualifications
upon voters. We have read with
great pleasure his pamphlet recent
ly published, and entitled ''The
Necessity OF Raising the Standard
of Citizenship, and the Right of the
General Assembly of South Carroll
ma to Impose Qualifications upon
Electors" The election laws of the
State have been subject of study
to Mr.. McCrady for years. The
pamphlet he has just published
treats the subject very fully and
ably. He insists upon an educa-
tionaI qualification as the only safe
ty against the evils that threaten
US. He argues that the Legisla-
ture has a right to regulate suffrage
in this way. The plan he proposes
is that the Legislature shall pro-
vide, as directed by the Constitu.
tan, for the ''registration Of all cleo.
tors; that in making this provision
each elector should be required to
write his own name upon the regis
ter as a prerequisite to the right OF
voting. He says that this would
be perfectly in accord with that
provision of the Constitution which
says, ':in all elections by the peo-
pie, the electors shall vote by bal
lot; that voting by ballot means
secret voting by a piece of paper,
upon which the name of the person
voted for is written OF printed :
and that in order that it shall be a
secret vote, the person casting it
should be able to write the name Of
the person for whom he votes, or at
least be able to read 1t himself"
There were two bills before the
General Assembly at it's last ses-
sion providing for the. registra-
ton of voters. Under a joint reso
luton these bills, together with all
other measures looking to change
or modification of the election laws,
and 10 the registration and qustff:
cation of voters, were referred to
joint committee of the two houses,
whose duty it is to sit during the
recess and to report to the next
session. The committee consists
of Senators ". H. Perry, of Green
Vile, G. B. Lartigue, of Aiken, and
J. C. Maxwell, Of Abbeville, and
Representatives Z. B. Murray, of
Anderson, Edward McCrady, Jr.,
of Charleston, C. J. G. Hutson, of
]. W. Gray, of Green