The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-03-20
Extra Session Asked.
Negroes Make an Appeal as
to the Registration.
The State Feb. Is.

he Slal6 ISO. 10.
Yesterday morning a committee from
the Colored Ministers Union, composed
of the Revs. R. E. Hart and w. D.
Chappelle, beaded by retiring Con-
gresham George W. Murray, as chair
man, called on Governor Evans in
regard to the registration matter, and
made the request Of him to call the
State Legislature in extra session, for
the purpose of allowing further time
for the registration Of colored voters,
averips that the ten days allowed by
the act. which have now expired have
been entirely insufficient and made
quate to permit of the registration of
those qualified voters who applied.
The committee waited on the Gov
ernor at the executive chamber about
/ .. m., and they presented to him
the following paper. making state
ments 10 accord Herewith
LAS representatives Of the Minis
terial Union and the Republican party
organized to aid the masses in quail
fying themselves to discharge the high
est function of citizenship in order that
they nigh, take part 10 choosing dele
gates to the Constitutional Convention,
in which the status Of their citizen
ship is to be fixed or destroyed, having
received advices from all parts Of the
State relative to the manner, conduct,
and extent Of registration during TIE
ten days set apart for registration,
which are exhausted to-day we assure
YOU that not more than 10000 electors
we're registered within the entire State
and that many more than 100, 600,
after unparalleled exposure, suffering
and sacrifices, remain unregistered and
d~isfranchised and that the four remain
ing days under the law, namely the first
Mondays in April, May, June and July
are wholly inadequate, therefore 10 be-
half of these thousands of wronged and
Injured persons, We call upon your ex-
celiency to pray that the Legislature
be convened in extraordinary session
to provide means whereby these
more than a hundred thousand citi-
zeps, may qualify themselves to eSer-
else their Constitutional right in the
selection of delegates.
I'VE respectfully submit that stat
utes creating such conditions as require
electors TO travel from ten to fifty and
sevepty-6ve miles to the various county
seats aud to expose themselves in SUD-
shire, rain and cold for weeks in en-
deavoring to qualify themselves, and to
have them sent away at the end of
which without even az opportunity to
register, to say nothing of their upcon-
stitutionality, are too cruel and bar
barous for the civilization Of the age.
eve further submit that the time
set apart for registration is wholly in
sufficient. Under a recent decision of
the Attorney General 10 re!atlon 10
placing the penalty on delipquehts in
the collection Of taxes, persons who
we're in the tax Office during the Pc
riod for paying the same and failed of
an opportunity, are exempted from the
penalties, and we claim that reglstra-
ton as conducted in our State is aDala-
gous to paying taxes, aud that cleo
tors who did all they could to qualify
themselves within the prescribed pc
Rod aud manner are not entitled to the
penalty Of disfraDchisement.
w. D. CaappeIle,
'sR. E. Hart,
Geo. ". Murray