The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-04-13
Gov. Perry on tIle State Constitution.
From The Greenrille Ente,pyi,e.

reasons why the people of South Gro.
lima should cali Convention for tho
purpose of adopting new State Con.
s'itution. Every people in u Republic
have right to form their own Constitu.
ton and organize their own form of
Government. They may do this as offer
as it shall seem proper to them. The first
Constitution of South Carolina, adopted
Immediately after tue Declaration of
American Independence was thrown aside
aud another formed during the Reyolu.
tiona-y War. A third was made after
The ratification of the Constitution Of
!he United States. Again, IL fourth was
formed after the close Of our civil war.
and when the State wa, reconstructed by
congress, the negroes, carpet-b baggers
anu scalawaga met In Convention and
formed the present one. This 6as dopo
when almost all the intelligent property.
holders and prominent citizens of the
State were disf.anchised, and moi allowed
to vote for delegates to the Convention
Since that time, circumstances lave
changed, and now the Government of
the State is IN the possession, once more.
Of the white race. Is it right, is II prop.
er, IL IT patriotic or honorable, that we
should continue to live under Consli.
tuition formed by rogucs aud scoundrcls
aud which we had no agency whatever
in making? All the other Southern
States, after the overthrow of tie Radi.
cas regime, have adopted new Constitu.
tions. South Carolina should do the
same. Honor and self. respect, as we'll
as patriotism and wisdom require tbat
wo should discard and trample in The
dust this bndge of negro carpet bag seal.
awag rule. This alone should appeal TO
the pride Of every one for a change, no
matter how good the present Constitution
may be.
But there are many more defects in
II, some of Which will now proceed to
point out La the first place, the decla.
ration ot rights authorizes the Legis)a.
turc to confer on any petty officer tho
ecution Of the lawsn' This is n most
dangerous feature in the Constitution
and suppose was intended by the Rad.
ical Convention to defend sheir usurpa.
tion, protect their criminals, and thwart
The Democrats in bringing some of them
To the gallows or sending them to tho
| penitentiary.
Again, this declaration of rights EN-.
powers the Legislature ITO subject per-
sons 10 martial law, and to pains and
penalties by virtue of that law ~ This
provision is 30 much at war with civil
liberty and Republican institutions. that
It may be pronounced monstrous aud
diabolical
The twenty eighth section of this de-
claration of rights authorizes the Legis.
iature TO keep up standiDg army 10
time of peace" contrary to the Consti-
tuition OF the United States, and for the
express purpose of protecting their in.
famous expressions and exactions over
the property holders Of the State.
Judges are forbidden TO charge the
Juries on matters of facts" when It is
important in many cases for the lpresid-
ing Judge to give his v:1%%s &C The facts.
leaving the jury to find Us they may think
proper.
The Legislature is forbidden to pass
any law denying the rights of suffrage
to criminals convicted Of perjury, rape,
larceny, burglary, arson, and many other
Infamous offences The Radical party
foresaw that thousands of their followers
would be convicted of these offences
and they did not wish to lose their votes.
1t is shame and disgrace to the State.
that criminals should be allowed to vote
icr members of the Legislature, Cover
uor, members Of Congress and Presiden.
tial electors.
There is also provision in this Con-
stitution, that no orc shall be deprived
OF the right of sufftsge, on account of
any, conviction of any infamous crime
whilst he was slave
The Constitution guards, likewise,
against disfranchising any one because
he had not paid his poll tax or other
taxes Tor the education of his children
Section 10 of Article 10 in the present
. (,npstItntiOp Hpclnrao al -. H.
and colleges in the Stnto supported in
the whole or in part by public funds,
shall be open to all pupils without 70.
gard to race or color! 1t is true this
amalgamation feature of the Constitu.
ton has never been attempted to be en-.
forced, but it may be, and will give
trouble.
For nearly two hundred years from
The first settlement of South Carolina up
to the reconstruction Of the State, no
divorce was ever granted by the legisla-
ture or tho courts. The present Consti-
tuition provides for the separation of man
and wife by divorce. The evil conse-
quenccs of such n law may be seen in
some of the Northern States where there
is one divorce in every ten marriages!
The Constitution provides that repre-.
sentation in the Legislature shall be ap.
portloned among the several counties in
proportion to their population, ignoring
property entirely! Governments are or.
ganized to protect persons and property
and both should be represented, as was
the case in all the Constitutions of South
Caroline previous to our civil war.
Unless property is represented it may be
destroyed or oppressively taxed by non
property holders.
A new Constitution for the State
should disfranchise all convicted crimi-
nails as unworthy Of sharing in the gov
ernment of Republic which is founded
on the virtue and intelligence of the
people. And, women, owning property
to the amount of five hundred or a
thousand dollars, in their own right, and
paying taxea for the same for the sup.
port of the government, should, in
justice, be allowed to vote and represent
her property. Such provision would
secure majority of white voters in the
State, and remove all apprehension of
our having to live under such govern
ment as we did ten years ago.
The Governor should be elected for
four years instead OF two, as provided
for in the present Constitution. He
should have, with the advice and consent
OF the Senate, the appointment of most
OF the State officers, as is provided for
the President in the Constitution of the
United Stateg.
B. F. PERRY.
- Some three hundred psners are nov,