The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-06-15
Politics La Chester.

some stir i'm political circles in Chester
County during the past week by his &C.
tiyity in behalf Of n number Of negro
voters who have been refused registration
by the supervisor, on the ground that,
having been convicted of larceny and
other like offences, they arc disqualified
under the provisions Of the Registration
law from voting. No one seems TO know
exactly what Mackey means, and all
those TO whom have spoken upon the
subject strongly suspect his motives in
his new role as champion of the rights"
of convicted negro criminals. With that
| facility Of expression which characteriZc5
all his deliverances for the public ear,
he alleges that lie simply wants to sec
political rcposc given TO the State by
terminating the conflict between the ra-
ccs and white supremacy maintained.
81 am willing" he says, ito
CAMP OUTSIDE OF TIE LAW
to maintain white supremacy, but I de-
sire to maintain it within the law
The facts iii the case which has occa.
stoned so much talk in the community
may be briefly rccitcd rs follows: On
last Friday Richard Smith, colored, APP
pcarcd before the supervisor Of registra
lion, Mr.. l. Med. Hood, and asked to
have his name enrolled as one Of the
electors Of this county. In answering
the questions propoundcd to him by the
| supervisor he said that lie had been con-
victed before Trial Justice Bradley in
| 1874 Of stealing cotton and was sent to
the county jail, whereupon Mr.. Hood
told him that he could not register, but
that he had the right to appeal from his
decision to the board of supervisors.
The negro then went to Judge Mackey
and retained him as counsel in the case.
Mackcy appeared before the supervisor
with Il library Of law books in his arms,
and demanded that his client had the
right to register and vote. The supervi
sor declined to hear the learned Judge
upon the constitutional questions in.
with notice to appear before the Cir
The grounds upon which this appeal
is baxeI are, fi.At, that rs supervisor of
registration Mr.. Hood "crrcd in decid-
ing that the plaintiffs conviction Of the
offence Of petit larceny in tho year 1874,
when he was but II years Of age, dis.
qualified him 20 register az an elcctor
under the provisions of the Registration
Act passed February 0, 1882" and that
such construction of the law would be
in direct violation of Article I, Section
10 Of the Constitution Of the United
States, which declares that "no State
shall pass eny e.r post .ficto laws" Tho
plaintiff appeals on tho further ground
that conviction of the offence Of lar
ceny does not disfranchise citizen rs
held by the supervisor, the word rob
berry" being common law term and as
such only to be construed according to
its meaning ut common law. In eluci-
dating this proposition Judge Mackey
contends that "as the Legislature has no
power TO add to or subtract from the
qualifications for voters rs prescribed by
the Constitution you (the SUPERVISOR
should have held that it was not compc.
tent to disfranchise citizen by extend.
ing the meaning Of the term Of robbery
so as to embrace another and different
class Of offence not included in the def
milton of such term as used in the Con
stitution."
, In refusing to register Richard Smith
the supervisor was only endeavoring tc
carry out the plain provisions of the
| Registration Act as it was passed by the
General Assembly. 1t must be confessed
that Judge Mackey has chosen singu
lar course by which to accomplish his
| u.
talked more loudly about Anglo.Saxor
civilization and Anglo Saxon Supremacy
and now he has become the champion O.
convicted negro thieves and feonns, ant
leads fight in behalf Of the very wors
and most depraved elements of the com
, munity in which he lives He woult
make Richard Smith, sclf-confcssed
{ criminal, the equal of the proudest and
noblcst citizen in the land, and if his
, appeal to the Circuit Court in this case
is sustained he will he instrumental il
securing the right of suffrage to about
three hundred Jail birds iE Chester Coun
ty and large number Of convicted fel
ons in every other county in the State.
Judge Mackey says that he is not g
candidate and will not be candidate fol
any office, and would create the imprcs
r sion that he is only acting from purely
patriotic considerations. He also affect.
the belief that he has the support of The
good white people of Chester County
, that they would give him any Office he
might ask at their hands, and that he i.
desirous of maintaining good govern
meut. l doubt very much if there are
two hundred white men in Chester Coun
ty who would be willing to elect him t
the Office of constable. l know tha
some of the best men in the county lool
upon all his movements with the deep
est suspicion.
The registration of voters III this copn
ty has been making good progress, ant
the supervisor says that there will be {
full registration of the white voters
There is no detection in the Democrat,
f ranks that have been able to discover
, and there is every reason to believe tha
the Democrats will secure q signal tri
, umph at tho election in November The
attompt to override the Registration La
, and make negro criminals good citizen
, will incense the better class OF coloree
, people aud induce many of them to e
with the white men in their efforts t
preserve good government. Many o
| the colored people in this county hav,
I acquired Considerable property, and tkey
, win hardly consent to commit the keep
) ing Of their fortunes into the hands o
tho thieves and cutthroats for whom
Judge Mackey is acting as counsel, ant
J to whom he would secure the rights o
r honest citizenship.-J. G. II. in Mc,c
f and Courier.
Ex.Gov, MOses In the Pcnifcntlary,