New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-07
BOURBON METHODS.

,xpos An cAsIoNAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE IRiBCSki
CHARLESTON, S. c.. May 2.-The Registry law
NJ South Carolina is perhaps the boldest attempt
that was ever made under popular government 10
disf.anchise large masses of citizens and place tue
nolitica powers of a majority in the hands of the
minority permanently. In order to accomplish so
difficult a task il was necessary that the right of
the eector 10 vote should be made TO depend upon
some condition over which the minority had full
control. The Registry law makes it condition OF
voting that the voter shall have in his possession
certificate of certain particular form, losing which
he Loses his rights as a voter. Every voting cltlzen
of South Carolina carries the charter OF MS
liberties in his pocket unless he has safe OF an ola
stocking IN which he can hide 1t at home. III no
loses this paper be loses with all the powers that
a republican system Of government coniers upon
citizen for the protection OF his civil liberties.
petty larceny may deprive voter OF MS whore
political capacity. If be sells his certiDcate NC
parts with his political manhood. rms scnelhe was
designed by the successors OF the CainouhS' 'no
Pres,ons and the HAYNES to take advantage oil the
illiteracy, thoughtlessness and cupldiy VI .ue
negro. in order to strip him of political nights that
were ACQUIRED at the cost to the nation OF the great
war.
The registration law is not temporary provision
for n single biennial election, but is a permanent
system that must stand until the law Is repealed OF
modified According TO this law from ana after the
dav on which the registration books were clcsed,
which was in the summer of 1882, there exists no
means by which citizen entitled TO vote AT tnat
day and not then registered can ever afterward
ACQUIRE the right to vote. Those who may subse-
auently acquire such right either by coming OF age
or by the residence of one year in the State, can
clam registration under it but not such as had the
legal right to registration at that day and By acct
oil m N
is true that this want of authority to
add TO the registered pames after the day
of the closing of registration has been disregarded
NV the SUPERVISORS of registration, who were all OF
one political party. and many names have been
added since that time. But every name so added is
.hat of n polical partisan OF the officers, and no
negro or white Independent has been able to secure
registration since the date above mentioned.
Thousands of these registration certificates bave
already been stolen, lost or destroyed, and before
the next election 1884 the right TO vote for all
time while the present law stands viii be ost 10
large pro,ortion of the negro population of the
State. The Registry act makes provision and
confers no authority to replace lost or destroyed
certificate. II allows a mutiated certificate TO be
exchanged for a new one but unless the old one IS
surrendered to the registering officers no new GER
tjficate can be issued. In order 10 embar-
rass and disfrauchise the working people
who hire ont their labor, and thus frequently move
their residence from place to place, a certificate.
which IS required to state the place OF residence of
the voter becomes worthless the moment he
changes his residence. To produce this effect 1t is
not necessary that he should move from one coun-
ty to another or from one polling precinct or
ward 10 another. but if he goes from one place of
residence to another in the same polling precinct OF
ward even though he NAV pass from the place OF
one elnplo yer to that Of another Immediately ad-
Joining the former the charter of his political ber
ties is gone. and he must seek a new certificate
stating his new place of residence.
Tins the favored classes Of South Carolina, who
as the possessOrs of ITS political authority are the
protectors of the weak, converted into ravenous
wolves devonrng and destroying the liberties OF
the poorer classes. both black and white. This Is
Bourbonlsm in South Carolina.
IT. IA the opinion Of fhe Government counsel IN
the United States election that the attempt Of
this law TO DESTROY the qualification Of voters not
presenting their certificates TO the managers Of
election is violation of the Constitution
and that every manager at the Congress
sional election excluding a voter on the ground of
not possessing a proper certificate is guilty of a
crime under the laws of the United States. II is
important that The question should he submitted to
the United States Courts whether the Legislature
was competent to attach the conditions OF voting
the necessity of holding a certificate. The Consti
tuition of this State to fix all the conditions
of voting and although 1t imposes the condition of
repstraton il does not make it necessary that the
voter should supply the evidence of such registra
ton The constitutional condition registration
was complete when the name of the voter WAS
REGISTERED on the books OF registration, and the
requirement that be should hold a certain evidence
of that lact as condition Of voting was i'll effect
the imposition of new condition where all the
An obstacle to che rolling and counting OF the
clear Repu lcan majority of votes in this State lies
in the fact that eight boxes have at general cleo
tion to be voted in. and misplaced tickets cannot be
counted. The large number OF ilhterate voters
among rhe Republican vOta rs OF the State renders
IL Impossible TO poll the full Republican vote IN a
manner enabling 1t To be counted unless the yoeTs
can be assisted by their friends while deposltiDR
their votes in placing Them III the proper boxes At
the last election a general rule, the managers,
all Democrats. refused sfeadtastly to give IN;
formation to the cOloTed voters that would
enab them To deposit their votes correctly,
and the persons who desired to assist hr voters
were excluded from being hear enough TO the voter
IN render any assistance When. however, an ignO-
rant Democrat presented hi'.sef tie managers
drngnated TO bin the proper bo IN whicn ne was
10 depnsit bis BALI OTIS aud took good care thrt not
one vote went astray by being put in the wrong
bow When Republican, 70 or asked tnis privilege
be was either rudey refused or 'ncpniinebtly hus-
tied out Of The roon without heng allowed 10 Vo @
at al Instances Il this KIND were numerous. A
general rule the voter was admitted alone INTO the
room place where toe inaHagerS sat. aud All per
sons other than 2artisans Of tne Bourbon State Ad
ADMINISTRATION we've rgldly excluded thrreirom.
Ii is moor ant 10 establish this point in the
limited States Courts. namely that the provision OF
the State Constitution that all elections shall oe
free and open excludes all meuns ending to pre-
vent the presence at the box OF voters who NAV de
SIRE 10 assist a voter IN depoStiug bis vote, white
affording such assistance in reasonable and peace,
full manner. for instance IN the presence oil
ersons by the parties interest for such
purpose This assistance could be Afforded by
special Deputy United STATES Marshals consistently
with their general duties as peace ofhces bt ~ te
last election such Deputy MaTshals were with otheit
excluded from communicating with Tue yoteit
while the voting going On. III the United StaJe'
Conris should decide that the Deputy Malshals nave
the right to be present and assist the voters IN DO
posting the Lalots, the difficulty could be prsetI-
calEy overcome
The pr venting Of voters from voting by aetna
force and Intimidation by crowding out the coiofed