The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-08-01
TILIIMAN'S SUFFRAGE PLAN.


TILLNIAN'S SUFFRAGE PLAN.
A Full Explanation of His Scheme for
the Regulation OF the Suffrage
Senator Tillman has frequently init
mated that he had plan for the
regulation of the suffrage, which would
same time would restrict the voting on
the part Of the negroes SO as to give
assurance OF white supremacy.
At campaign meeting held a few
days ago at Hunters Chapel, in Barn
we'll county, Senator Tillman made an
address to the crowd of six hundred
people, in which he disclosed the
scheme devised by him, and which is
reported as follows by correspondent
of the State
The meeting was one of the Barn
well County campaign meetings, and
during the forenoon speeches were
mad J the candidates in the county
for sscgates to the constitutional
convention. There were about 600
persons present, nearly all of them
being ieformcrs ard about seventy-five
being ladies. An excellent dinner was
served, after which Governor Evans
spoke, and then Senator Tillman faced
the crowd.
He came ont sQuarely and gave the
scheme for the regulation of the suf-
fragc, making reference to his remark
at Ridgeway when advocating the
calling of the constitutional convention
in which he asked the people to trust
him and vote for the convention. He
stated too that in the spring after the
Forty conference he had served notice
on all opposed to the Mississippi plan
to get ready for the near future. Then
he fully disclosed the scheme as fol-
lows: have given q great dea, of
thought to this matter. The 18th
amendment is an insuperable bar to u
permanent and lasting arrangement.
Any scheme that may be adopted can
only be temporary and will be largely
dependent on white unity. as it is upon
the administrat tion Of the law rather
than in it's language we must rely.
This has been the case W tn the regis
tratiOn law and the eight box law.
AS long as no discrimination on ac-
count or color can be made, even an
educational qualification pure and
simple would only serve its purpose of
DISTINGUISHING the negro while he re-
mains ignorant. How can we dis
franchise illitcrate negroes without at
the same time taking the right Of suf-
fragc from the same class of white
mon? 1t is easy enough and cannot
be called a fraudulent system. The
Mississippi constitution provides that
every voter must be registered and
that the applicant for registration
must be able to read Il clause in the
constitution or be able to understand
and explain it when read to him. The
right to judge of the latter res3s with
the supervisor Of registration. If
the applicant can read he must be
registered and therefore be allowed to
vote.
If he cannot, it is easy to see that
the negro could not understand, while
the white man would. This is natural
as the whites are the more Intelligent
race. Couple provision forbidding
registration after conviction for crime,
and require the applicant to be also
possessed OF good moral character
and you can sec how many thousands
of negroes will be DISTINGUISHED with
out fraud or without infringing on the
18th amendment to the United States
Constitution. Should We ever have q
government that would appoint regis
tration officers who wantcd'to enroll
the negroes as voters this scheme
would not work. But there is y differ
encc between having it in the constitu-
/ tion and depending on the eight box
and registration Laws. n defeated
minority Of white men could never
obtain control Of the government by
obtaining a white majority first and it
would then have no need Of the negro.
" Another safeguard would be to
provide that no iliitcrato person fail
| ing Of the necessary requirements for
registration would be eligible after
tho first election, and that aftor five
be the ability to read and write pure
and simple. This would act as q spur
to men Of both races to fit themselves
for the suffrage and would not per
pctuate the confcssedly obnoxious but
necessary provision Of trusting to the
judgment of the supervisor. The
charge that such a system would per
petuatc dishonest elections is false"
Continuing Senator Tillman said
If this scheme is not adopted, then
so far rs | can see, there is nothing
else to do but have qualified woman's
suffrage and hide behind petticOats
am perfectly willing to give The
women OF South Carolina the right tt
vote when they ask for it, but dom
} believe they want it, and until they d'
, ask for it, prefer the other plan"
The above arc Senator Tillman's eX
act words, and they pretty fully cove
the all important matter. 1t may b
, added that this being the scheme tn
Inauguration OF the Reform movemen
: advocates, it will be almost certain
| be adopted.