The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-03-20
PATRONS PLAN.

septed Richlapd County in the House
of Representatives for several years.
The article is a clear and able %presenta-
ton OF the conditions which confront
US, and an outline of the requirements
that the proposed constitution must
posses to satisfy the people Of the State
His plan is simply stated so that any
one can readily understand it, aud is
fortified by an argument IN Import of
the principles involved.
He says with respect to the require
ments:
81 think, therefore, that it may be
considered as settled that DO plan will
be tolerated by our people unless it
shall satisfy the requirements get out
above-that is to say:
a.. l: must not be obnoxious to the
Constitution Of the United States.
%. 1t must establish effectively and
permanently white supremacy.
"3 1t must provide. forclean and
honest elections.
"a. Il must not disfranchise that
large body of our citizens who. though
Door and unlettered, have served their
State as useful and faithful citizens in
time of peace, and risked their lives for
her in time Of war"
The people worthy of the ballot. to
whom it would be guaranteed by the
plan noted above, would be divided
into three classes and a section inserted
in the new constitution would make
operative the plan. Mr.. Patton sug-
eests a section as follows:
..Section l.. Every male citizen OF the
State of South Carolina. Of the age OF
twenty-one years, not laboring under
disabilities named in this Constitution,
who shall have resided in the State Que
year and in the county 10 which be
offers to vote sixty days next preceding
any election, aud who shall have paid
all poll or other tax due by him to the
| State: and who. III addition thereto,
I'D "Shall be able to write legible
and read the Constitution 10 English
print: OF
"(2) Shall own in his own name and
returu for taxation property in this
State to the amount of $500 /: or
"(3) Shall have been engaged u the
active military or naval service of the
late Confederate States of America, or
shall be the lawful Iipeal descendant
Of such person !; shall be a qualified
elecsor of this State, aod, when duly
registered, shall be entitled to vote for
all officers that are now or may be here
after elected BY the people. aud upon
all question, submitted to the electors at
any election"
Two other sections be also suggests
to strengthen and make effective the
PROVISIONS of Section l.. These sec
tious are as follows:
..Sectiou 2 The General Assem-
bly, shall enact just and equal laws for
an accurate registry of the qualified
electors of this State and they shall
also establish convenient, fair and I'M
partial tribunals to pass upon and de-
termine the qualifications of citizens
Offering themselves for registration as
qualified electors.
"Section 8. A popular government
cannot exist without a pure ballot.
The General Assembly, therefore, shall
euact stringent laws for The regulation
of the registry aud elections 10 this
State, With severe penalties for the
violation of the Any person
who shall. willfully violate such laws,
shall, upon conviction. in addition to
such penalties as the General Assembly
shall impose, be forever disqualified
from voting and debarred from holding
public office in this State ; and the dis
abilities imposed by this section shall
not be removed by the pardon of the
Governor or by act of the General
Assembly.
Mr.. Patton argues that the plan
meets the four requirements and does
uo' lnfriugc.upon the Federal cons'''u-
ton in any of its fundamental prlncl-
pies. That it will insure white suprem-
ecy. And that fair and houest clcct'ous
are not only possible but made certain
under the operation of the plan.
The letter of Mr.. Patton is a valas-
bic contribution to the discussion of The