The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-09-26
THE CONSTITUTION
AS AMENDED BY THE DEMOCRATIC
CONVENTION WEDNESDAY,.
An important Change Is Made in the
Document Providing for q Direct Prl-
mary for AL State and County on srs.

mary LOT AL Stste hno SouutJ oiAcoiSs
COLUMBIA, S. c., Sept. 2O.-The fol-
lowing is the full text of the constitu-
ton adopted by the Democratic Con-
Vention on Wednesday,:
Article |. There shall be one or more
Democratic clubs organized In each
township or ward, each of which
club shall have distinct title, The
- democratic Club" and shall
elect president, one or more vice pres
idents, recording and corresponding
secretary and a treasurer, and shall
have the following working committees
Of not less than three members each,
viz: a committee on registration and
executive committee and such other
committees as each club may deem ex.
pedient.
Article2. The meetings of the clubs
should be frequent after the opening of
the canvass, and some MEMBER Of the
club or invited speaker deliver an ad-
dress at each meeting If practicable.
Article 8. The president Or five mem
bers shall have power to call an extra
meeting of the club, and one-fourth Of
the members shall constitute quorum
for the transaction of business.
Article 4. The clubs In each county
shall be held together and operate un-
der the control of a county executive
committee, which shall consist of one
member from each club, to be elected
by the respective clubs. The executive
COMMITTEES when elected shall appoint
its own officers, who shall not necessari-
ly be members Of said committee, and
fiI all vacancies which may arise when
the convention Is not in session; provid-
ed that any officer 80 elected who is not
a member of the committee shall not
be entitled to vote On any question,
except the chairman, and then only in
the case of a tie vote. The tenure of
Office of the executive committee shall
be until the first Monday In May OF
each election year, at which time the
county conventions shall be called to-
gether to reorganlze the party. Every
Presidential election year county con-
ventions shall be called by the county
executive committee the first Monday
in May and shall elect delegates to a
State convention called for the purpose
of electing delegates to the National
Democratic Convention, and to elect
the member of the National Democrat
ic Executive Committee from this
State. The State convention shall be
called by the State executive commit.
tee to meet every Presidential election
year on third Wednesday In May, and
every State election year county and
State conventions shall meet on the
first Monday In May and the third
Wednesday in May respectively. Each
county shall be entitled In State con-
yentions to double the representation
It has In the General Assembly.
Article 5. County Democratic con-
Yentions shall be composed Of delegates
elected by the several local clubs, one
delegate for every twenty-five voters,
as shown by the club list made at the
preceding first primary election, and
one delegate for every majority frac.
tion thereof, with the right to each
county convention to enlarge or dimin
ish the representation according 70 cir
cumstances. The county con Ventions
shall be called together by the chair.
man Of the respective executive COM
mittees, under such rule, not inconsist-
ent with the Constitution nor with the
rules adopted by the State Democratic
Executive COMMITTEES, as each county
may adopt, and when assembled shall
be called to order by the chairman OF
the executive committee, and the con.
Vention shall proceed to nominate and
elect from among its members presi-
dent. one or more vice presidents, Sec
retary and q treasurer. Any county
convention may permit the formation
of a new club or clubs by majority
vote OF its members.
In all cities with population Of
5000 and over there may be two clubs
in each ward; they shall be organized
10 obedience to this constitution, as
are the clubs elsewhere in this State
and In organizing said clubs they shall
have representation in the county con.
ventions respectively as said conyen-
tlons shall declare in accordance with
the provisions of this constitution.
Article 6: For the purpose of nomi-
mating candidates for Governor, Lieu
tenant Governor and all other State
officers including solicitors in their re-
spectiVe circuits and Congressman In
their respective districts, and Presiden-
tial electors by the popular vote and
United States Senator and all county
officers, except Trial Justices and Mas
ters, a direct primary election shall be
held on the last Tuesday in August of
each election year, and q second and
third primary each two weeks success
lively thereafter. At this election only
white Democratic voters who have
been residents Of the State twelve
months and the county sixty days pre-.
cedtng the next general election shall
be allowed to vote, and such negroes
as voted the Democratic ticket In 1876
and as have voted the Democratic
ticket continuously since, to be shown
by the certificate Of ten white Demo
cratic voters; provided that no person
shall be allowed to vote except his
name be enrolled on the particular
club list at which be offers to vote, at
least five days before the day OF the
first election. The club rolls OF the
party shall constitute the registry list
and shall be open to inspection by any
member Of the party, and the election
under this clause shall be held and
regulated under the Act of the General
Assembly of this State, approved De.
cember %, 1888, and any subsequent
Acts OF the Legislature of this State.
The State Executive Committee shall
meet on the Friday after each primary,
or such other time as may be designa-
ted by the chairman, to canvass the
vote and declare the result as to all
State officers, Congressman, Presiden-
tial electors and United States Senator.
All contests shall be heard first by the
county executive committee of the
county in which such irregularities
may have occurred, and may be re.
viewed by the State Executive com.
mittee, whose action shall be final:
Provided, That no vote shall be count
ed for any candidate who does not file
with the chairman of the State Execu-
tive, Committee, or with the
respective chairme1 of the county
executive committee, a pledge IN
writing that he will abide the
result of such primary and support the
party nominees, and that heis not, nor
will he become the candidate of any