The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-10-04
4 WHITE MANS STATE
SOUTH CAROLINA WILL HAVE
THE SUFFRAGE ARTICLE
FRAMED BY TILLMAN.
NO FEAR OF A FORCE BILL NOW

Incorporated Into the Constitution
Senator Tillman and the New Epoch
~-How he Led the Great White Mid
die Glass, Principally Farmers.
Against Bourbon Aristocracy--sO,-
600 Negroes Lose the Right to Vote.
staff Correspondence New York World.
COLUMBIA, s. @, Oct Nothing
now can prevent the disfranchisement
of the black race in South Carolina.
After q savage struggle in the Constitu-
tional Convention today Senator Till
man defeated the attempt to adjourn I'M
til next January. 1t is agreed that the
suffrage article OF the new Constltu-
ton will be adopted as Tillman fash
toned it.
The situation is inexpressibly sad.
South Carolina will surrender one or two
of her seats in Congress in order to Sc
cure white supremacy, and at least 80, 600
negroes will lose their right to vote. But
there is no help for it. The philanthropy
lists of the North and West may pour
money into the State and establ sh
schools to fit the blacks to exercise the
elective franchise. That would only re-
store the old reign of intimidation aud
violence. The best friends of the negro
here admit that it is better not to renew
the war of races.
The most damnable idea in the new
policy is that the education of the
negroes must cease and that seven
twelfths of the whole population must
remain in ignorance, degradation and
helplessness. And yet there is no feel
ing of bitterness towards the race. 1t is
simply scheme for white mans gov
eminent against which national force
bill will be impotent.
The Repiy of tie White Rae.
This is to some extent the result of the
threats SO freely made by the Republican
party that every negro should cast his
vote under the protection Of Federal
bayonets, even IL negro governors and
negro legislators were to be thus estab
lished. The people of South Carolina do
not fear the influence of negroes in
national affairs so much as they dread a
control of their State Government. The
Republican party gave this community
eight years Of negro domination, eight
years of continued fraud and insult.
This Constitution is tie reply of the
white race. II Is not nice situation to
contemplate, but it exists and no amount
of abuse or discussion can change it.
From this time forward white men
will govern South Carolina absolutely.
The negroes will have to depend on the
humanity and justice of their masters
for the future. And this thing is occur
ring at the end of the nineteenth cen
tury in land that boasts the equality
of man.
At last the renowned dispensary law
idea is to be incorporated into the Con
stitution of the State. 1t has been ar
ranged between the followers OF Tillman
and the Bourbon conservatives that the
principal of State ownership of saloons
shall be recognized and Endorsed in the
organic law. This is another extraordi
nary feature of the present Constitu
tional Convention. The dispensary law
is in its very nature socialistic and anti
Democratic. It is the reverse of what
Thomas Jefferson labored for But it
has rid South Carolina of curse which
rests upon New York.
What the Dispensary has Done.
Since Tillman roughly thrust this sys-
tenn upon the State, the influence Of the
barroom hummer and the saloon-keeper
has been absolutely destroyed. Tillman's
bitterest enemies admit that he has not
only reduced drunkenness in the COM
munity, but has achieved the unparal-
1eled feat of removing the seat Of politi-
ha colnnr He hag
done this in the face Of armed opposl-
ton, of secret conspiracy, the mandates
of courts and moral crueifxion in the
newspapers He has paralyzed the IN
fiuence of the cities and towns and
placed the agricultural element in com
plete control, establishing hayseed
despotism. The foundation of the
strange rural sovereignty is the all-per-
vading work of the Baptist and the
Methodist churches.
The new Constitution will authorize
the Legislature to take either one Of
three courses. 1t will permit law au-
thorizing absolute prohibition OF the
manufacture or sale of intoxicants, or
the licensing of counties and towns to
act as dispensing agents for the State,
or lu6 ilCtISluS VI pLifdsO ahAAf A4Oc@A~t
provided that no license for the sale of
fntoxicants shall be granted which per-
mits sales in the night time or to min
ors, or in smaller packages than sealed
half -pints, nothing to be drunk on the
premises.
Courts Didn't Worry Tiiiman.
When South Carolina assumed the
business of supplying the people with in
toxicants the cities and towns rebelled.
Even the militia refused to obey the or
ders of Gov. Tillman. The matter was
brought before the Supreme Court of
the State, which pronounced the law to
be unconstitutional AS no other form
of saloon was permitted, the State was
subjected to a period of prohibition.
This meant free drink, for Gov. Tiilman
bluntlY announced that it was impossible
TO enforce the law.
The court which rendered this deci-
sion was composed of one Tillman Judge
and two anti Tillman Judges. Presently
th9 term of one Of the anti-Tillman