The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-11-06

interest bearing and nOn-taXaDle. e
give him bond that enables him to
qualify.
Now we also allow any one who
has fought in the Union army qualify,
but that will not affect many votes.
AS rule those who have come here
from the north were men of property
or education, and the negroes who
fought on the Federal side have. as a
rule, more intelligence than their fel-
lows. In this county there are mum.
bers of negroes who are called white
men because they entered the Confed-
! crate army with the understanding
that they would be recognized as white
men if they did so.
! Now, sir, is it constitutional Well,
there is no way OF demonstrating that
as YOU can that two and two makes
four. There is no decision upon re-
cord that would indicate that it IS un-
constitutional. The only provision Of
the Constitution that it might infringe
upon is the fifteenth amendment. The
suggestion of the gentleman in the
caucus that the hereditary feature of
it was contrary to the rights of noblll-
tv clause, ETC., won't do The revised
statutes give pensions to the sons OF
soldiers. I will say that Connecticut
and Massachusetts, have had the same
provisions in their constitutions and
they have never been attacked.
The greatest argument Of all is that
It will give a true and honest ballot.
Then. sir, the dark cloud that is hang
ing over our State will burst asunder
and we will walk out into the esunllght
and get out of the miserable slough,
where the fanatical hate of the north
ern people and the ignorance and IN
competency of the southern negro
have placed US for the last 80 years.
Here is an opportunity to brush aside
these clouds and walk out and look
the world in the eye.
Mr.. Patton concluded thus: IF the
plan OF the committee is unconstitu.
tional YOU have a direct educational
and property qualification. If my
plan is unconstitutional we will be IN
exactly the same fix. But we can 60
to our people and tell them that we
have done the best we could, and If the
Federal courts will not let US, it is not
the first time in the history of South
Carolina that she has been forced to
call upon aer sons to sacrifice their
private interests to the public veal. ),
Robert Snalls. one of the colored
delegates from Beaufort, rose to a
question of personal privilege. He
referred to Mr.. Pattons statement
that he (Smalls) had, in 1877, been
convicted, in the Richland court, OF
having received bribe whilst Sena'
tor from Beaufort. Smalls indignant,
" denied his guilt-said his case was
pending in the Supreme Court of the
United States, when the governor OF
South Carolina, without his solicita.
ton in any way, granted him a full
: pardon.
Mr.. Haynsworth of Greenville at
tached Mr. Patton's plan and warmly
supported that of the suffrage com
mittee. He declared that the latter
contemplated no fraud, and was, un,
der all existing circumstances, the
the best that could be devised.
Miller of Beaufort had something
to say about Mr.. Pattons reflections
upon the Republican administration
from 1865 to 1876.
Several amendments to section !
were handed up, to be printed for the
! information OF the members. None
: of them was acted on.
REDUCING CLERICAL FORCE.
Owing to the fact that there was nc
work for the engrossing clerks to DO,
,, the convention passed a resolution dis
missing them, and providing for then
pay at 81 day and 5 cents mileage
each way.
The convention then adjourned.
PATTON'S PLAN REJECTED.
COLUMBIA, Oct. 30.-Special: The
Convention this morning resumed the
consideration of the suffrage article
. the subject il hand being the substi
tute offered oy Mr.. Cowper Patton o.
Richland.
Mr.. NCGOwAN'S POINTS.
Mr.. MCGOWAN of the committee go
the floor at the outset and stated tha
in his opinioa the attack on the repor
last night was uncalled for. The com
mittee had worked hard for three
weeks and they had given it the mos
careful consideration. The Conserva
tlves and Reformers had allagreed anc
|; reported the matter unanimously. HI
proposed to show that the attack wa:
unwarrantec. in every respect; he
wanted to snow that Mr. Patton wa:
wrong in his facts and his law. l deny
that the committee contemplates tina
the plan shall be fraudulentlE en-
forced.
The object was to enfranchise litter
ate white men. l don't care whc
knows it. And we can do 1t wlthou
trouble. He denied that it was the IN
tention of the committee to have tn
requirement enforced dishonesty
,. Mr.. Patton 1ad said nine-tenths of TIN
, poor white people would be disfran
chised. I.deny this: l can say tha
.. they can understand. If they knov
so little thai they cannot understand
they are bordering on idiocy and lun
acv. This clause should and will b.
; administered honestly. My frlent
based his entire argument on thu
''impossibility to understand.
: say that he has built his argument OF
a false basis. His purpose is to &c
these men in who should not be dis
: qualified. This States old soldier
l. had been called Off to war when the,
) should have been learning to read AM
write. The argument of my frien'
, must must fall to the ground. Il canno
; stand. Now where is my friends zig
! ures and statistics to prove what he as
. serts!
NJ. Patton-Now, where are yours
o Mr.. McGowan-I get my statement
' from my knowledge of the poor pee
: pie in my own county.
: Mr.. Patton-I did the same
Mr.. McGown-Then they are differ
). ent from the people of my county.