The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-10-31

thew have to fight for their rights with.
One of our leading reformers remarked
last Saturday that his father lived IN
Pickens county, and was! 90 years old,
and while he bad given his SONS a good
education, the old gentleman did not
/ know a letter in the book. He hos al
ways prided himself on voting the ticket
of his choice, and is good citizeu. Now,
to take this old mans vote from him,
or make him dependent on some one
else for the prviige of casting ballot,
would be an outrage, which bis family
will recent to any extremity.
4, Our state executive committee ad-
mits that a constitutional convention
would cost $4,000, which means 100
bales of 81 cents cotton taken from the
farmers OF Spartanburg; for it matters
not who pays taxes, it comes out OF the
tiller of the soil at last. Now, can our
neople afford, their present Strengthened
financial condition, to iucur this expense?
And then we must remember, that this
constitution can be amended, and made
oyer new, if necessary, without costing
one extra dollar, and by the legislature
submitting any amendments it sees pro.
per 10 tho people for their ratification.
S. While it is true the anti papers are
opposing the convention, this is no rea.
son why an intelligent man should fight
it. Every voter must think and act for
himself, and not be guided either by the
commands of one faction or another fac
ton. This ls free country, and every
man is given the right to vote and. think
for himself.
g.. And while we admit that this con.
stitution should be amended, there are
several good classes in it that we do not
want changed. One is the homestead
law, that has saved to many poor wo-
man her little homo and bread for her
children. Then there is another clause
in the old constitution prohibiting a
creditor from selling a wife's property
| to pay her husbands debts. Now is there
iustand humane mau in South Carolina
who would want these laws changed?
Better let the people "docsor" up the
old constitution, and then theY can say
what changes they want.
7. When you disiranchise The negro.
YOU also take the ballot from four-Gtths
of our cotton mill operatives; and this
vote is their most precious possessions:
Aud then, the pay of the members of the
convention has not been fixed, and We
cannot tell what it may be. If we are
going to change our contitu!ion, let us 20
| TO work in q business-like way, and give
tho white people voice in saying what
they want done: If the legislature will
pass bill outlining the work Of the con-
vention, and saying just how far it must
20, fixing the time it can remain in ses-
sion, and then regulate the per diem OF
members, 80 that tho people can see
what is expectsd of them, then tbey will
readily vote for q convention. But If
our leaders are afraid to trust the people
how can they expect the people to i'm
plicitly trust aud blindly follow them?
Now, those papers that are trying to
rule The Headlight out of the reform
party lust because We don't support a
convention. should set to WORK aud au-
swer the above arguments. When the
vote is counted in Spartanburg county,
you will SEQ that this paper now, as ia
the past, Is representing the wishes OF a
large majority OF our reform voters
Ths Haadljpht