The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-11-12

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constitution. The registration book
shall be kept open for at least slx cor
seeutive weeks and thereafter frOr
; time to time, at least one week In eac
month up to 80 days next precedin
the fret election TO be held under thi
constitution
Section 8, which has reference +
the division OF townships into electio
districts, was taken up.
Mr.. Sheppard moved to substitut.
polling" districts for election dis
tricts. This was adopted.
Mr.. Johnstone offered an amend
ment at the end in these words "bu
no elector shall vote except In the poll
After some'suggestion he'changed it 81
as to reed: "Provided that voter
upon change Of residence may bt
transferred from one precinct Il
another"
Mr.. Prince held that "change o
residence" was not definite enough a.
one might change his residence In the
same district. The amendment was
however, adopted.
Mr.. Stanyarne Wilson offered this
substitute "There shall be establish.
ed In the several counties in tho State
election precincts and each voter can
| be registered only at tho nearest pre-
! cinct and must there cast his vote.
Any voter may be transferred from
| one election precinct to another upon
his change OF residence" 3
He said 1t was utterly impossible ia
make d geographical division of elec-
tion districts unless there was re-
gnlar survey. AS it is now polling
places ere made to suit the conven-
ience OF the people. 1t would cost an
immense amount Of money to divide
the counties up exactly. The people
ought to be allowed to vote at their
nearest precinct.
Senator Tillman said with such o
system 1t would be almost impossible
tn detect false registration. It's an
elastic margin that will give great
play for fraud.
Mr.. Bryan said that In many coun-
ties the school district and the cleo
tion district were c0-extensive and
would not suit q city at all.
Mr., Wilson said that the committee
report was drawn for cities and his
for the country. He moved to post
pone debate In dorer to perfect amend
ments, which was agreed to.
Section 10 was passed as follows.
The General Assembly shall provide
by law for the regulation of party pri-
mary elections and Furnishing fraud at
the same"
When section IL was called Cover
nor Sheppard offered the following
amendment: "Thereafter the re-
gistratiOn books shall be public re-
cords, open to the inspection of the
public"
Mr. Fitch offered the following;
Add to section ii after the word "in-
terim," on line B, "or to correct any
mistake, error, omission or fraud OF
the board of registration" and add
after word ELECTION on line 2 the
following And they shall be- open
for public inspection one week there
after, prior to the election, and be
placed in the clerk of courts Office for
such inspection"
There was quite discussion over
the matter OF these amendments, and
the section was then passed over, the
amendments being ordered printed In
the journal.
Section IL was adopted as follows
" Electors in municipal elections shall
possess all the qualifications and be sub.
ject to all OF the Disqualification here
in prescribed. The production of a
SOi WI. FoS lEOlh bl6
registration otiicurs of the county
as an elector at precinct included
In the Incorporated city or town
In which the voter offers tOvote, is
declared condition prerequisite to
his voting, and in addition he must
have been d resident within the in
corporated limits at least four months
before the election, and have paid ell
taxes previously due and collectable."
Section l3 relating to special cleo
tions In incorporated towns and cities
was taken up.
Mr.. Meares moved to amend by In,
serting after electors on the fourth
line, the wOrde Except as to SEX"
which was to allow women to vote.
He spoke at length to his proposition.
This was different thing from the
proposition already fully discussed and
voted down. This was kind Of an
election that might not occur in many
women should be allowed to have @
say about their property. The con-
ventiop should measure the matter.
MIR. D. s. Henderson said he was the
one member of his committee who was
against it. It was simply the question
whether they were cooling to make an
entering wedge and allow women to
vote at ell or not. He was opposed
to It..
Mr.. MCGOWAN said that woman suf-
frage had already been discussed sd
nauseam. He thought that X only
tho men who owned $500 worth OF
property were allowed to vote as to
whether additional taxation should be
laid on property In order to issue
bonds, the property owning women
need not fear. They would be amply
protected.
Mr.. Bryan thought it was but re.
opening the same old question which
the convention had already voted down.
1t was urged that women be allowed to
vote in the first instance because che
owned property and the convention
overwhelmingly voted 1t down.
Mr.. Meares drew the distinction that
this was not political election.
Mr.. Henderson moved TO lay the
amendment on the table. The ayes
and noes being called the amendment
was tabled by vote Of 81 to 20, as fol-
lows:
Yeas Alexander, Anderson, Ashe,
Austin, Barry, Barton, Belllnger
Bowen, Breazeale, j. 8. Brice, Bryan
Buist, Carver. DELAY, Dennis, Dong
lass, Doyle. Etrd, Field, Fitch, Fraser
Gary, ]. l.. Glenn. Gunter, Hamel
Harris, Harrison, ID. =. Henderson,
VIM. Henderson, Houser, Hutson, T.
E. Johnson, George Johnstone, Keitt
b. j. Kennedy, MCGOWAN, McMakin
McWhite, Matthews, Mitchell, Morri
son, Mower, Murray, OTIS, Prince,
IL. Reed, Rosborough, Rowland, Rus
sell, Sheppard, jeremiah Smith, Tai