The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1895-12-13
THE OLD AND THE
NEW COMPARED.
CHANGES MADE IN THE NEW
CONSTITUTION.
"A Review Ofnll the Important Changes
In Each Article and the New
Points by the Chairman
of tho Committee in
Charge.

The following are condensed state
ments of the changes made in the Con-
stltution of the State by the present
Convention have been furnished by re-
quest to the Charleston News and Cou-
rier. They arc of the highest author
ity and of special interest.
SUFFRAGE.
The essential difference between the
limitations .on the suffrage now and
under the old Constitution is this:
Under the Constitution of 1868 every
male person 81 years of age, not labor
ingunder certain disabilities for crime,
was voter; under the registration
law he had to have u registration cer-
tificate, which had to be changed
every time he changed his residence,
even in the same township. and the
renewal of certificates was hedged
about with many restrictions. Under
the new Constitution the voter must
either be able to rend and write or un-
derstand and explain any section of
the Constitut' Z submitted to him by
the registrr llicer before he is eli
gible to registration. This elastic
provision only lasts to the 1st of Jan
uary, 1898, and under it only one cleo
ton will be held, after which the ap-
plionnt for registration, and therefore
the voter, must be able to read and
write, or have $500 worth of proper
ty.
The provisions in regard to registra-
ton are not Mt nll difficult or onerous,
and every safeguard that exists in III
most any Constitution of any other
State is thrown around the purity of
tho ballot and honesty of the count
The Constitution OF 1868 based clti-
zenship upon manhood, the present
Constitution bases it on Intelligence,
and Is u virtual enactment TO carry out
the eighth box law, which of itself was
an educational qualification.
The elastic provision which allows
registration for two years to the illit-
crate who can understand and explain
any section of the Constitution was
made necessary by the existence among
us of large number Of worthy white
and black citizens who arc worthy of
tho ballot by reason of their intelli
gence and property who otherwise
would have been disfranchised.
B. II. Tiliman, Chairman.
LEGISLATIVE ARTICLE
In framing the article of the consti-
tuition known as the Legislative De-
partment the convention has kept close
to that article in the constitution of
1868, making such changes as were
considered important and adding such
sections as were thought to be neces-
snry.
The number of sections in the old
constitution was thirty three. The
new has thirty The four addi-
tiOnal sections are as follows:
Ist. Making it unlawful for white
persons and negroes or mulattoes to
marry where there is onc-eighth or
more Of negro blood.
I'd. Making it the duty of the Gen
eral Assembly to enact laws limiting
the number of acres Of land which any
alien or any corporation composed OF
aliens may own within the State.
3D.. Forbidding the General Assem-
oily to authorize the payment to any
person the salary of deceased officer
beyond the date of his death nor to
grant pensions except for military and
naval service, nor to retire any officer
on pay or part pay.
4th. Not to allow the General As.
sembly to enact local or special laws on
certain subjects and for certain pur-
poses.
Ten of these are enumerated and the
eleventh subdivision covers all other
cases where general law can be made
applicable.
Under the old constitution each bill
oc L., l. Il J.
Dc read three times in each house and
signed in the senate house by the Presi
dent of tho Senate and the Speaker OF
the House of Representatives. This
is simplitied in the new constitution by
emitting Sin tho Senate house" and by
allowing each branch o; the Genera
Assembly to make rules to have botl
the first and third reading of bills reac
by their title only.
Time is money, especially in legis
iating for the State, and the time save,
10y the foregoing provisions will result
in the saving of thousands OF dollars
The old constitution did not allow
any one to hold n seat in the Genera
Assembly while holding any othcl
Office of profit or trust, except officers
in the militia, magistrates or justice.
of inferior courts, who received n,
salary.
The new constitution in dealing will
She above provision adds to the word
"profit and trust" the word "position'
and excerpts only officers in the militi,
and notarics public.
Perhaps the most important change
are made IN the section granting tn
homestead cXcmpt,Gp
One Of these makes the title to tn
homestead to be set of and nssignc,
absolute and forever DISCHARGES from