The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1894-06-14
BRAYTON'S REASONS
For TryIng 10 Overthrow tho ReR i.tration
L9wR.

For TryIng 10 Overthrow tho ReR i.tration
COLUMBIA, S. T., June 1.-The fol-
lowing letter was published this morn
ing:
AS I am the ono mainly responsible
for the institution of the proceedings
in the Supreme Court to have the con-
stitutiOnality Of the registration law
of the State tested, 1t may not be amtss
to state the reasoDS which have gov
erned my action.
This law enforced according to its
provisions Is more harsh, restrictive
and obnoxious to fundamental princt-
pies than Is generally known. 1t dis
franchises every voter who passes one
registration period without getting his
certificate, regardless Of the causes. If
absent, sick, crowded out or indifferent
he Is subjected to the same penalty. 1t
disfranchises every voter not previous
ly registered, who moves into county
after the first Monday in July proceed
Ing general election. Thus, though
he may actually have been resident
In the county four months before the
election and the constitution declares
that but sixty days residence in the
county preceding an election ls re-
| tiAc LiSho w WV hbhooesoSA Sho
he is remedlless.
The law bases the right of electors to
vote, not upon the registration, but
equally upon the presentation at the
polls of the certificates Of registration.
1t is anomalous and unAmerican to
say that the inalienable and sovereign
right Of suffrage must be confined to a
tlimsy piece of paper liable to be lost.
destroyed, mislaid or stolen. The put
ting of the closing day Of registration
on the first Monday Of July Is contrary
Of registration and Is subVersive OF the
franchise, making registration close
before it should, and In other States
does, begin, and before the excitement
Of the campaign and the nearness Of
the election have directed the atten-
tion and aroused the interest OF the
voters, cannot have for its object the
purpose Inherent In registration as de-
clared essential by the courts and all.
thorities, or abridging suffrage, but its
effect Is clearly to deprive voters OF
the possession and exercise OF the1I
constitutional rights.
The making secret the registration
records is only destructive of the fun
damental rights of voters and subveI
sive Of the principles inherent In regis
tration. A registration to be constitu
0lonal must be easy, free, impartial an
, public, and its purpose should be t.
provide for the regulation of suffrag
and to prevent repeating. Some State
and courts consider even this kind o
; regulation an illegal restraint and In
, fringement of the right of suffrage
Besides the registration books havinl
. been in use twelve years are dilapida
ted, confused and unreliable.
TO these constitutional provisions o
the law there are added the irritating
expensive and unnecessary exactiOn!
Of forcing voters to go to the SuperVi
sor's Office and the getting of new Ger
tificateS in case Of their loss or She
moving from the county precinct or
change of residence. Under the oper-
alton Of this law 1t Is estimated there
are one hundred thousand negroes and
thirty thousand whites either disfran.
chised or disqualified from voting. In
addition to the constitutional defects
in the laws are to be considered the
capabilities 1t affords for eVasiOns and
partisan manipulation. Heretofore the
Republicans have had to encounter and
endure these. Those who have not
studied the law Or practiced Its iniqut.
ties can not comprehend the advanta
ges afforded to those in control Of the
machinery or the helplessness of those
| flSOllIlo W I'D lthih hCSoOiOh. 1ho
division among the Democrats pre-
sents now situation. 1t foreshadOws
the time when one faction will be treat
cd az the Republicans have been. This
white men will not submit to and
when the crisis comes there will be
bloodshed and anarchy. ls 1t not bet
ter to forestall and avert this calamity
by uprooting a law which has outlived
the purposes OF It's creatlonp 1t Is not
necessary. for elections were carried be.
Heen 1876 and 1882 without 1T and
and now there is the eight box law to
supplement old agencies. 1T is hazard
Gus to depend upon the law being used
for the benefit Of tho Democrats, be
cause when they divide at the polls 1t
will afford weapon for the dominant
side to scOurge their hostile brethren.
Besides 1t is dcmoralztng to be de.
pendent upon these sworn supervisors
being subjected to the need of commit
ting perjury to favor their partisans
and make those citizens thus accom-
modated and illegally favored parti-
cepS crlminis.
Such a law, besides being badge of
shame to y state, Is serious impedi-
ment to its growth and prosperity. TO
a selfrespecting and independent man
there would be well grounded ObJec'
tions to moving into State dominated
by such a law and where constitutional
rights are 50 easily lost or abrOgated.
The court can safely set aside the
law, for, if the eight-box election law
Is not considered sufficient, there is
timo for the Legislature to be conven-
ed and other laws passed, while if this
law stands and new Constitution
is adopted upon the vote at the next
election. wherein not over One-quarter
II L I.,t L ~
question will some day be raised, and
the new Constitution will itself be held
illegal and void.
ELLERY Nj. BRAYTON.
Columbia, June 6, 1894.