The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-07-03
The Convention Will Meet.
It Cannot be Prevented, Says
Mr.. Douglass.
Columbia State


Professional business has brought
Mr.. Charles A. Douglass from Wash
ingtou, D. c.. and be Will remain in
Colum bia for the nexttwo weeks. Yes
terday Mr.. Douglass was seen in his
room at Wright's Hotel aud asked con-
cerning the status Of the Mills regis
tration case.
Mr. Douglass said The appeal pa
pers 10 the case have been prepared
and the appeal is perfected, and will
be ready for locketipg during the pres
ent week. The case capnot come up
before the fall term of the court and
will not be heard, probably, before No
vember. The case will be so presented
as to enable the Supreme Court to de.
eide it on it's merits, or the court may
decide i, along the narrow liues fol-
lowed by the Circuit Court of all APP
pesls 1t will be SO presented that she
court will have before it fairly all Of the
issues. including the merits We will
not make any effort to prevent the
holding Of toe convention. and | do not
believe that it can be prevented from
meeting
lis the Impression correct one that
Judge Gof, by his decision, attempted
to prevent the holding of the conven-
ton % was asked Mr.. Douglass. He
replied /:
..Empbatically he did not. On the
contrary, the effect of Judge COTS or
der was not to prevent the holding Of
the convention. but it was based upon
the legality Of the election. and simply
removed the registration barriers so
that all qualified electors could partici-
pate in the election Of delegates
Suppose the Supreme Court were
to declare the registration law unconstl-
tu:ional after the constitutional cou-
veu,ion shall have met and finished its
work, as will be dope by uext Novem-
ber. What would be the effect Of this
decision on the work of the coDven-
tion 2" was the next question asked by
the reporter Mr.. Douglass replied:
Il do not know what the effect would
be. 1t might invalidate the work Of
the convention, or it might not be beld
to be SO far.reachiog. Upon question
of SO grave importance as the one
asked | would not venture now an
opinion. As to the results of victory
by the complainant in this case we can
have nothing to do. We are discharg-
ing here professional duty merely and
are following the instructions Of our
clients 10 appealing, aud if the results
Of this litigation shall lo any way and
to any extent affect the validity of the
convention, we shall not hold ourselves
at all responsible. or if it shall have
any other effect we will feel the same
way about it.
The issues upon the merits in this
case cannot forever be lodged. Some
time or other they will have to be de-
cided. and have always thought it
would have been better that they
shoull have been fairly met and dis
posed of in advance Of the election of
delegates and the holding of the cou-
ven,ion. However. that is political
matter with which We have nothing to
do
The next questiau asked Mr.. Doug
lass was Have General Hampton or
General Butler anything to do With
these registration cases p The reply
was:
mo. They have nothing more to do
with them than you (the reporter)
have. They have not employed US, aud
as far as I know they have uothing to
do With the cases whatsoever"