The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-09-28
CONVENTION
SUMMARY.
GOVERNOR EVANS ISSUES AN III.
F0RTANT DOCUMENT.
fhe Work Of the Convention. Max
ing gDnt the Programme. It Should
Adjourn by October 7.

! Governor Evans, when asked on
Saturday night by O NewE and Courier
man, for an interview for the Southern
Associated Press: giving summary OF
the Conventions work to date end e
! forecast Of the work ahead, spoke ss
follows, and what he Gays, in vieT Of
his relations to the majority side, is,
CT course, matter Of widespread in
terest:
Tile work o. the Convention SO far
has reen preliminary and in commit
tess, but Judging from the reports OF
the committees filed up to this time, /
sm satisfied that there will be very
little wraugliDg and that the work vii
be harmoaiously completed. And l
believe that it will be the best Constl-
tutiou ever gotten up for any State.
'fThera is some little tendency to-
wards 1egislatiDg TOO much, but ! be-
lieve that that viii be ezpuDged By tbs
Contention as a whole, and that they
will be governed by the genelal pin
ciples Of government and not by mat
ters Of legislation.
The committee reports will neces
ea!ily have great force and they seem
to have been framed with great care,
and the chances are tbst they Will be
passed With but very few changes
The most important committees are
agreed unanimously, I am lnformeds
including the suffrage committee, and
the articles upon which We expected
most debate bid fair 10 be adopted
with but very little change from the
committee reports.
IT SEE NJ reason why the Conven.
ton should continue in session longer
than October I.
Gas to the suffrage plan there is but
one door open for lis, and that Will be
the unanimous report of the suffrage
committee. / believe that the vast
majority OF the members are ready to
accept it now, but of course there will
be some debate by one or two mem
bers who have pet schemes. What I
mean is the Mississippi plan with
yerv few notifications. That is that
we will provide that any person ag-
grieve1 shall have remedy By a
direct appeal to the Courts, leaving to
the Legislature to provide the manner
Of holding and conducting elections.
This report will, Of course, pre-
serve the eight box law and reSlstra-
tretion, as now provided.
'I an sorry to see that the majority
Of the committee on executive depart
ments refuse to join II: recommending
giving to the Governor power to remove
defaulting officers. I am satisfied.
however. that the good sense Of the
majority of the Convention will prevail
and the minority report will be adopted
in this particular. 1t is ridiculous to
say that the Governor shall see that the
laws are enforced and give him dishon-
est and incompetent officials to enforce
them. with no power to remove or even
suspend. There seems to be dispo-
sition or fear on the part Of some peo-
ple that this is giving the Governor too
much power, when, as matter of fact,
it is simply intended torelie7e the pso-
pie from the tyranny and oppression
of subordinate officials before their
term Of Office shall have expired.
81 think that a wise provision to
recognize divorces granted IN other
States that it is one calculated to pre-
serve the good morals Of the country,
and coming within the provisions OF
the Constitution OF the United States,
which requires that due regard shall
he had TO the decisions and DEGREES Of
other States. Under the law as it
stands the South Carolina marriage is
divorced in Georgia, and the parties
allowed to marry again and live in
that State in nlegitimate weeloek, which,
should they return TO South Carolina,
their children by the second marriage
are held to be bastards. This should
be corrected.
81 believe that corporations should
be controlled under the general laws,
with no special privileges, and with
proper provisions to prevent consoll.
dation and injustice to operatives, and
whenever receiver is appointed the
charter should be revoked and the st-
fairs wound up.
Il believe that the term Of Stste
officers should be four years, and that
of the Legislature two years; and that
seemed to be the will of the people IN
the last campaign. am satisfied that
it will give better satisfaction. The
people ore sick of frequent elections.
This would be a pleasant change and
believe the Convention will adopt 1t.
''I believe the area Of counties should
be reduced and the minimum should
be prescribed in the Constitution
Four hundred and fifty square miles IS
small enough. Less than that would
be unable to support competent
county government and give to the
people better roads, which, after all,
is the great desideratum IN county
affairs.
II am satisfied it Will be q great
mistake to put that two-miil school tax
in the Constitution. The time Will
come when the National Government
will seek to interfere in the schco
question as we'll as the suffrage, as the
two are necessarily iDseparable. And
no one can tell to what eEpedlency 1t
it will be necessary to resort in this
event. The people should be allowed
to govern themselves in thisparticular:
and the Legislature left free to levy,
collect and apportiou this tax accord
;.>A. L. liz 1,ec4 ;rtarastc IL tha State