The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-05
oAROLINA,s CONSTITUTION.
Views of the Two TiIImans ON the
Conventions Work.


after a two hours session. with but little
more than a quorum in attendance, the
constitutional convention took a recess
till Oct. Is. and delegates are now leav-
ing the city on every train.
This morning the question of abolish
ing the right Of dover by the state was
debated at length. 1t was finally decided
by vote Of SO to IS TO retain the right of
dover In the new constitution.
The following important resolutions Of
fered by Mr.. Patton were Immediately
considered and adopted:
Resolved, That we, the delegates of the
people of South Carolina assembled in
convention for the purpose Of framing a
constitution for a free and Independent
people, extend our hearty sympathy to
the Cuban patriots now striving for the
same precious right.
Resolved, second, that we call upon the
federal government TO recognize the Gu
bans as belligerants so soon as the rules
of international law shall permit.
The following resolution, looking to do
ing away with a session of the general as
sembly this winter was offered by MT
Ellerbee and Will be acted upon when the
convention reassembles: That, with n
view to saving the necessity and expense
of holding the approaching session of the
general assembly, Il be referred 20 the
committee on finance and taxation and on
the legislative department to frame and
present for the consideration of this con-
Vention an ordinance providing for sucn
tax levies and appropriations as may be
necessary TO carry on the state and county
government until the first session OF the
general assembly to be held as provided
under this constitution"
Nearly all the delegates have gone 70
their homes, there being but few remain
ing in the city tonight. Senator TIN
man, when asked al the depot for a state-
ment Of his views as TO the work of the
convention thus far and as to the future,
said: The body has evinced deter
mination TO closely examine and scru-
tnize and thoroughly analyze every meas
ure presented, and to do nothing hastily,
and therefore, / am satisfied that the CON
stitution II will make VIII be a durable
Instrument; The convention has risen
above tactional feeling altogether. The
one predominant idea seems to be the fu-
ture welfare Of the people Of the state
and whatever the convention does will be
done well i could not pretend to go into
detail. can only give 1t as my opinion
that I'm the future we VIII bave better
common schools and absolute purity ana
Ex-congressman George d. Tillman said
that the convention reminded him more Of
a debating society OF overgrown school
boys than anything else, talking all the
time and undoing tomorrow what they
do to-day. He did not care to talk about
II much. He said that 50 far as that pro-
Viso saying, any negro blood" was con-
cerned, IL would be an absolute necessity
to change that and make 1t "one-eight
part negro blood" or havoc would be
played with property In South Carolina
He says he will bring this matter up on
the third reading. Speaking of woman
suffrage, he said, with a wise shake OF his
head, that there were many more advo-
Gates OF woman suffrage on the floor Of
the convention than any one dreamed Of,
and the adoption of a woman suffrage
plank. passed on properly qualification,
was not such an impossible thing as 1t
was generally conceded to be- AS TO the
article of the suffrage committee, he said
that the plan could not honestly accom-
plish the desired result. II was far from
getting at the disfranchisement of the
negroes'by honest and fair means. A plan
that has occurred to him to do away with
two-thirds Of the negro vote without re-
fuslng the ballot box to any negro com
plying with the honest requirement, is to
take advantage Of the migratory habits Of
the negro. BY having township managers
and boards and requiring a voter to live in
the same township for two years to be
eligible, two-thirds Of the negroes would
be disfranchised honestly and no white
man would be hurt, for the white people
are chained to the land.
He does not think the convention will
leave the appointment OF the commissio
ers and managers of election to the gov
ernor. What they wanted was the gov
ernment OF the people by the people. Who
were better to judge Of the qualifications
OF voter than the people of the town
ship wherein the voter resides. This was
local self-government. The scheme re-
ported was to perpetuate one-man power
When asked for his views, George John
stone. one Of the leading conservative
members, said:
convention up to this time 1t has struck
me as being really patriotic body of men.
striving to do what they honestly believe
to be for the best interests Of the state
stances, by which we are surrounded as
being remarkably free from partisan bias
and think this is shown In the result of
their deliberations. The articles so far
adopted, l think will be found free from
reasonable objections. / can recall but one
principle engrafted into the constitution
that ] think open TO serious objection, and
that is the one granting to municipal cor
porations the right to exempt manufac-
turing enterprises from taxation. This
conceive to be vicious principle. A good
portion of the serious work Of the conven-
tion remains still to be done. The articles
on finance and taxation. on corporations
sidered. OF course l cannot say what the
action in regard to them will
be- but the convention has
allowed the freest debate, which mas been
conducted in a candid manner, free from
passion and from prejudice until this time.
Whenever vicious principles have been
pointed out they have after debate, been.
eliminated, and l cannot help but feel
that the same will be their conduct in the
matters yet to be considered. AS yet
have rot had an opportunity fully to con-
slider the plan presented as to the suffrage
and am, therefore, not qualified 10 crftf-
eize 1t. The same is the case as to the
corporations. This adjournment will give
the members an opportunity to investigate
these matters, and look for great good
as the result of the recess. 1t would be
idle to attempt to predict the length OF the
session after the recess, but am tempted
to imagine that there is a months work
still ahead. The opportunity to study
given by the recess may shorten it. I
think 1t will probably have that erect"
Congressman Talbert, the vice president
of the convention, who has been presiding
some days, said he is disgusted at the
idea of taking a recess. They should have
worked night and day and STAYED here
till they completed the constitution as
they promised the people to do He saws
he Is opposed to increasing the two mill
school tax or poll tax, and that he will
not vote for any suffrage plan that has
any touch Of a property qualification
about it, as the plan reported has. He is
pledged not to endanger the vote of any
white man, and property qualification
win do that, in his opinion He thinks
that If the convention had come here and
fixed the suffrage all right and gone home
vvo4lId bpUa nOnn onO1Tph