The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-10-16

listed on the side of the Reform
movement, and while too young to
vote, have thrown up their hands and
cheered and worked for the election,
success of Tillman, myself and other
Reform candidates These youths
are the coming voters who must up
hold our Reform principles aud con-
tinue our party liz power. But they
are struck down to a man with the
most ignorant class of negroes and
their right to voice in the govern
ment Of their native State taken from
them.
LET this law pass. giving educat-
ed and property owning negroes the
right to vote, but denying the poor,
unlettered white man that high priv
ilege, and you will see our ballot
boxes saturated with blood. In two
years time you can't educate every
white youth in South Carolina both
to read aud write, for the impover.
ished condition of thousands of poor
white farmers and laborers will not
permit them to spare the time of their
sons to go to school And then what
is the result? Their ballot is taken
from them and they will have no more
voice in the government of this State
than the mule that they plow or dumb
cattle that tread our highways. They
must stand off and look on while the
educated or property owning negroes,
living in our towns and cities, are
helping to rule and govern our
State, and are making laws for these
poor white men to live under.
"In lS6l.'65, when these poor
white men were being urged to
the front. the question was never
asked, could volunteer read
or write, or did he own $500
worth of property Neither we're
those conuudrums p:opoandea in 1876,
when those poor aud unlettered Demo
cratic voters donned the red shirt and
rescued the government Of our State
from the negro aud Republican. Aud
10 1890, when Tillman vas preaching
political equality before the people, aud
pleading with those poor and unedu-
Gated white men for their votes, be
did not then ask did they have $500
worth of property, or could they read
the Constitution Of their State under
s,aodiugly. But now that neither his
life-alood nor his vote are needed, be
must be struck down-thrown aside
like sucked lemon or passed through
a political inquisitiou.
Il denounce that report Of the right
o! suffrage committee. and Of which
Senator Tilmap is chairman, as mon
s,rous, aud for our Reformers in the
convention to pass any such law would
be the basest trsachery anc the deep
est dyed ingratitude. When the repor!
is brought before the convention shall
E < ht i; 70 the better ecd do not be-
lleye it will pass-I know that it should
never pass | pledged the poor and
uueduca,ed white meo Of South Caro-
lima that would protect them in their
right to vote, and protect them | will; /;
[ will 60 Gown 10 defeat and hunila-
ton With them.
1.-The right of suffrage is the highest
privilege accorded free bora Amer-
can citizen and 90 degrading condi-
tioas should be coupled with this right
"But it is claimed that such provis
ions are necessary to preserve white
supremacy in South Carolina Now l
will prove to Jou. and to every intelli-
gent and thinking man that SO far
from the adoption of Senator Tillman's $
report by the convention preserving
white supremacy that it will have a
directly opposite effect, aud make Of
the negro political arbiter in our
State and vest in bis hands the bal
ance of power. With fresh right Of
franchise the uegro leaders will 60 to
work and marshal at least so 600 legal
voters. They claim that there are 72,-
900 blacks 10 South Carolina who can
read aud write, but there are undoubt-
edly 50, 900 negroes who can vote under
this proposed provision. The Conserva-
tives now have between IS coo and 40
600 voters, all Of whom will be qualified
for suffrage. while the Reform vote
number So. 900 10 our Reform ranks
there are at least Is, 600 men who can
not read or write. Deprive them Of
their suffrage and the two factions are
then nearly equal, With the negro vote
larger than either one. This would give
the electoral vote Of South Carolina, di-
vided as the whites are, to the Republi.
can candidate for President. Let either
faction remain out of the next Demo.
cratic primary, and with the assistance