The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-02-21
TIE CONVENTION.

TACT that we are 10 nave acOnSlltutlOnal
convention, it behooves all patriotic
men to divest themselves of all fac
tisnal feeling and csmly and delibe-
rately consider the issue that now con-
fronts US. This will be the most i'm
portant convention that we have had
since 1876, and upon the wisdom OF
those who constitute that body depends
the failure prosperity Of our people,
politically, socially and financially, and
when such grave matters as these con-
front US, prior to that convention
we should not only discuss the dangers
that are contemplated in the organic
law of the land, but who to entrust
with that sovereign power to make
laws for US that vii! not be submitted
to the people for ratification.
Now while I would not have you
think that I have the presumption to
dictate to our people what to do, yet
I do propose to give them some idea
to what we might object under the
present political statue of South Caro-
lima. When we have two parties that
are as distinct Of each other as the
democratic party and the republican
party ever were in 76- and really
even more so-for to give the devil
his dues, by its own action now; and
in past years, the Republican party
has been equally dividing all of the
Offices in that rart Of the Stale known
as the ssblack district" with the deme-
Gratis; and upon the other hand our
own people are 80 badly divided into
two political factions, known as Till
man and anti-Tillman, that it now re-
quires that word "Tillman" 10 render
q man eligible to Office. Virtue and
worth have ceased to be requisite tor
Office, but the word Tillmsn renders
msu eligible 10 any position he wants
irrespective Of qualification, which
runs down from the Judiciary through
all channels even to constable for a
trial Justice, and in some counties, for
instance in Richmond, the voice Of the
people through primaries have been
ignored and coat-tail swingers ap-
pointed.
Now you may imagine I am digress-
ing, bat mention these facts to show
YOU how divided we are, and they are
stubborn facts that no one can deny,
and for which [ a. not responsible,
and against which I have labored it
seems in vain-snd there is no one
deplores it more-for I recognize the
fact that il is the same bone and bone,
blood and blood upon both sides ofthe
house, and that it was our confined
efforts in '76 that we captured this
government, and over the spoils OF
Office our people arc now divided, and
for no general good, and no one has
derived any benefit except those who
are new and have been seeking the
government Golfers.
We are told that the principal object
this convention has in view is to ar
range qualified suffrage, and
whether that is to be all educational
o:.e or property one, or both. none
of US know. But there are many other
grave questions that will come before
that convention-the homestead law,
woman's rights, the two-mill school
tax and many others, and all of which
should be ventilated 80 our people
could vote intelligently upon them
AS it seems qualified suffrage is the
all-absorbing question, and upon it |
shall express myself. Now. while |
have always opposed constitutional
convention, upon the ground that we
could make any changes we wanted
through the legislature and then have
it submitted 10 the people for raiifica-
ton, and upon The question ofsrherage
| have argued and proven by statistics
that it would disfranchise proportion
ately as many whites as blacks &C.
cording to population; yet here comes
along the oily politician and says that
all Of our.white people will be allowed
to vote, that they can vote in our pri-
maries, but would it not be well to re-
mind our people that unless the present
disruption is healed our primaries will
be thing Of the past. Oh, the peii-
tician says, that will be all right, the
board Of managers are the judges of
qualification, and renin'l them that
over in Mississippi the way it is ar
it is there an educational
qualification-and the applicant must
be able to reai ard understand the
aud when our friends
come in We ask tham very simp
question, but vi"e versa, we AK our
opponents q very intricate question,
which no one. perhaps. bnt a lawyer
could explain, and of course he is re-
jected or 10 illustrate, it is done in q
similar way in which ju ul.ment was
passed upon the certificates "fregistrs-
ton in the last election, and upon
which many Of your minds are now
100 vivid to further Illustrate. Now
with two or three political factions in
the political arena, and with some who
believe in free ballot and fir count
aud with some who think that this
plank in the Democratic platform that
oopulists to siro eqnal rights 10 all
men and special privileges 10 no one
should be amended ai to read equal
qualified rights and equal qualified prir;-
Ieges, and to be inangurated III the
organic law Of the land. Coull it not