The Brookhaven leader., 1890-10-02
Artfui DOdging.

hateA Leader. !
Replying to Senator Georges speech !
in the Convention, delegate Mclean
of Grenada openly and directly char
acterized Gen. George as an artful !
dodger, or the exemplar of "artful
lodging"
During the course of his speech Sen
atOr George referred to and defended
the section of the report of the Fran
chise Committee which provides that
On and after the LIST day of January, A.
D., 1896, the following qualifications are
added to the foregoing: Every qualified
elector shall I've able TO read any section
of the constitution of this State, or he
shall he able TO understand the same
when read to HIM, or give reasonable
Interpretation thereof
Gen. George asked in substance,
"who could object to this section ?
What person upon the floor of Con-
gress, or anywhere could question
Missssippi's right to copy identically
a section from the Constitution of IL
Northern State?n and then went on to
say that this section against which
so much objection had been urged
was copied from the Constitution of
Connecticut. Mr.. Muldrow rose in
his seat and asked Senator George if
he was not mistaken about the section
having been copied from the COnnec
ticut Constitution. The Senator re-
piled that he was not. Mr.. MuldrOw
then asked Senator George if he was
not mistaken about the portion of the
section: "Or he shall he able to under
stand the same when read to him."
etc, being copied from the Conuec-
ticut Constitution. The Senator could
dodge no longer, and acknowledged
that that part of the section was not
copied from Connecticut. He claim
ed, however, that it was an improve
ment upon Connecticut's straightfor-
ward plan.
When Judge Chrisman was making
one of the ablest, one of the most
powerful and eloquent speeches that
has yet been made in the Convention;
when attacking and severely CRITICS.
ing this very section of the commit
tees report VIRTUALLY charaeterizing
it as Il dishonest scheme intended to
invite fraud) Senator George inter
rupted him in order to claim that the
scheme had the sanction of that great
lawyer and reputed wise man, Wiley
p. Harris, and the committee was
guided by his advice in its adoption.
Judge Chrisman replied that he would
not allow Senator George to quote
Wiley p. Harris against him Chris
man), for Mr.. Harris had directly and
unequivocally told him that he favor
ed his (Judge Chrisman's) amendment
for direct educational and alterna
tive property qualification. He cited
the fact that Judge Harris had refused
to accept the nomination as delegate
from Kinds county under instructions
to vote against these qualifications,
and only accepted the nomination
when the instructions were with
drawn.
Mr.. Hudson of YazoO then arose
and said he was IL member of the sub
committee of the Franchise Commit
tee of 80; that had under considera-
ton the question of suffrage restric
ton or qualification; that the sub com
mttee had Wiley p. Harris with IT,
and that it reported to the full COM
mittee in favor of an educational and
property qualification, and that the
full committee substituted something
else. (The something else is the sec
ton providing that a voter shall I'M
derstand the Constitution when read,
ETC., and understood to be the progeny
of Georges fertile mind.)
Senator George has been "knocked
down" (metaphorically) i'll the Con-
vention by Mr.. Mclean, Col. Null
dIow, Judge Chrisman and others.
Referring to the Franchise Commit
tees report, Maj. Magruder said the
"trail of the serpent was over it ALL"
The Franchise Committee were evil
IDENTIFY guided and led by Senator
George; the "appOrtiOnment" scheme
Tor "pretext" or political rascality,"
as it was termed by Maj. Magruder)
is his scheme; and the "understand-
ing the Constitution when readn
clause is also attributed to the astute
Senator.
To show the outrageous character
of this clause ("shall be able to under
stand the Constitution when read to
him or give reasonable interpreta-
ton thereofO we give the following
diagnosis of it from the pen of dele
gate Frank Burkitt:
Singularly enough the Franchise Com
mlttee has inserted a provision that after
Jan. LIST, 1896, a man must be able to read
the Constitution or understand it when
read to him, or be able to give a fair in
depreciation thereof before he can vote.
This clause is more liberal, certainly, than
lao 10 .o 90 %.