The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-02-19
THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVES'
TON.

To the Editor of The Necs and Herald:
The time has arrived for definite
line of action. BY this time every
man in South Carolina should have
made up his mind pretty fully ON the
constitutional convention question as
the matter has been under discussion
for months. All this talk about send
ING the best and wisest men to the con-
vention is begging the question, and
merely means the putting off a posi-
tive answer 10 questions that must
confront as sooner or later, viz: Are
YOU in. favor of q qualified suffrage?
Are you afraid of the negro voter
Are you willing to trust to joint
primary to elect delegates to con-
stitutional convention:
Now, Mr.. Editor, I propose to an:
sented to my mind.
AS to the 1st question, are you in
favor Of a qualified suffrage? l answer,
no. Mr.. Editor, think Of the old COM
rades who served with US in the late
war. Think Of the many deserving
men of the country who through dire
conditions and circumstances were
denied the opportunities of making
fortunes and securing the benefits of
an education, which if we have q
qualified suffrage would be debarred
from the right Of exercising one OF
the greatest of all "God-siven-gifts.' y
OF course, there are many who have
broken the laws of the country, these
I take it will be provided for in fran.
ing the constitution-felony and other
heinous crimes committed-whether by
whites or blacks should forfeit their
suffrage. As to the second question,
are you afraid of the negro vote:
answer no, for when We wrested the
government from them in 1876 and rs
it was during time when we had q
combination of circumstances adverse
to the whites of the State to contend
with which no sane man will ever ex.
pect to arise again. 1t would take toe
much time and space to enumerate OF
Iwould gladly do so. Mr.. Editor, il
Is too we'll known to discuss now tina,
from Is to 20 thousand of the negroes
went with us-all the pressure of THEN
lying leaders and with the threats OF
going back into slavery, etc, (shoulG
the Democrats carry the election)
could not prevent this large number
from joining our clubs, and wearing
the red shirts. To show whether they
will stick or not, SO per cent of them
will go, as we 60 today, although they
were kept from participating in oul
Democratic primaries. No, Mr.. Ed:
tor, dismiss this night Diare, as facts
will not bear it out. Yet there are
those who will say. yon accomplished
all that was done with the whites
united. / hold we were not one whit
more united then than now. Where
did one of the leading papers of the
State the News and Courier stand
> then? In the same shoe it does today.
Then they advised a fusion with
Chamberlain & Go. and today with
T. I. E. s. Co. Mr.. Editor, what
would have been the condition Of af-
fairs then, had we not needed the
counsel of Hampton, Connor, Hay
wood and Gary. No, let us 60 back
to first principles and follow the lead
of those we know, tried and not found
waning. This will bring the peace
and unity that we all so long for.
Now for the Srd question-primary or
no primary answer, I am not. In
the first place does any sane man be-
lieve that we could get up a primary
free from fsctienal strife after last
summers sham. No, this has to be a
fight for principles, is fixed as solid as
the granite rock for which old Fair
field has become 50 famous; let prin-
ciples and not party be our motto.
Should we take this as our guide all
differences would te nipped away be-
tween the Ants and the Forty. What
more do we want than they, the 40: are
in search Of? All whites will agree to
sn. thing provided it is done BY the
whites. Mr. Editor, will not the con-
yention be entirely of the whites,
should the 40 and their associates ipin
1.-The 4O0?" then will we not have a