The Brookhaven leader., 1890-09-04
THE STATE CONVENTION.
The Woman Suffrage Amendment 10
Repoted FavorabIy.
70 Is Generally Believed That tho PROPOSE
tion Will he Engrafted Upon the Consti-
tution-sensational Scene In the Room of
the Franchise Committee.

JACKSON, Miss, Aug. 29.-The work
Of the Committee on Suffrage has been
the all-absorbing topic here. The COM
mittee reconsidered its vote on the ques-
tion of giving the power to vote to
women, guarded by property qualifi-
cation. The result was complete tri-
umph for the advocates of the measure.
There we're only twenty-eight OF the
thirty-five members present, and the
| vote stood seventeen for and eleven
| against. There was no use in trying to
keep the vote secret, and in less than
half an hour every body knew it and was
talking about it.
| The majority of the members who ex-
pressed themselves were highly graft
fed, and regard it as the best move
made yet to secure white supremacy.
| The right of women to vote was
abridged somewhat from the original
proposition, as the property qualifica-
ton is changed from $3.50 to S400, and
she is to own in fee simple.
| Col. Muldrow, on hearing the news,
remarked:
81 am glad of it, not that / was in
favor of it as prime proposition, but
we are in fix, and the easiest way that
we can relive ourselves of this negroized
condition is to my mind the best"
1t is fact that on no question which
has been broached since the convention
met has there been such rapid change
in sentiment as on this subject.
Col. Fewell's speech, when introduce
ing the resolution, put members to
thinking, and since then the measure
has steadily gained ground, until today
but few doubt that it will be engrafted
upon the Constitution.
The Suffrage Committee also revised
their action in regard to the qualifica-
| tion of voters. Yesterday it was we'll
understood that the committee would
recommend both an educational and
property qualification. At today's ses-
| sion, by decisive vote, the committee
agreed to reject the property qualifica-
ton, and recommended an educational
| qualification to go into effect in the
| year 1896. In the meantime the Aus
| tralian system, that is now in force in
Tennessee, will be adopted.
| The debates in the committee today,
like yesterday, were very spirited, and
several gentlemen spoke right out in
the meeting.
Senator George, it is said, insisted
that if the Australian ballot system
was to be adopted there should be
| provision for the officers of election to
mark the ballots of those unable to
| do so.
| Mr.. Mclean replied to the Senator in
a brisk speech, in which he twitted the
Senator of being more responsible for
| the calling of the convention than any
one member of it, and now it seemed
| that he was inclined to go ahead and
| inaugurate the reforms the convention
was expected to make. For time
there was quite
| A LITTLE SENSATION
in the committee, but the gentlemen of
course retained their good humor.
The Suffrage Committee has now
about handled all of the prime matters
to come before it, and only has to put
| them in shape. 1t is doubtful since the
woman franchise measure passed and
| property qualification clause has been
rejected that there will be any minority
report.
Chairman Patty stated today that he
thought the committee would be ready
to report by Monday, and not later than
Tuesday next.
The Committee on Penitentiary, Of
which Mr.. Dean, of Lafayette County,
is the chairman, submitted report to
the convention at its session this after
noon, which was received, ordered
printed, and made the special order for
Tuesdays session. The report is
signed by six of the seven members of
the committee, ex-Gov. Alcorn not be-
ing present at the meeting at which
the report was adopted. The commit
tee emphatically declares that the
leasing system is incapable of reform or
amendment, and "that it should be abb
solutely and dunconditionally abolished. !"
To this end they recommend the adop-
tion of a constitutional amendment de-
claring that the system shall not exist
after January 1, 1895, and requiring the
Legislature to provide the proper legis-
lation for the change.
1t also recommends the removal by
1895 of the prison from its present site
in Jackson to a large tract of land,
where the convicts will be kept under
direct State control, some to be worked
in agriculture and others in mechanical
and manufacturing pursuits.
This committee also proposes prison
reform in the establishment thus to be
erected, by which reformatory system,
especially for Juvenile offenders, shall
be arranged, the whole prison estab-
lishment to be under the direct super
vision of State Board of Control. The
committee regards this as a mode by
which all the evils and brutalities of
the present system will be abolished.
And the prison and convicts will be
made self-sustaining after thoroughly
established, The sentiment of the con-
vention is overwhelmingly against the
hiring or leasing of the convicts in any
form or under any pretenses.
Ex-Gov. Alcorn's scheme to have the
convicts turned over to the levee boards
meets with little or no favor. Such q
project would practically nullify all eff