The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-10
SUFFRAGE SCHEME SCORED.
IRBY To FIGHT TILLMAN's PLAN IN
THE CONVENTION.

The senior senator Alleges That IL
Would DIsfrnnchisc Poor and I'm
educated white Men and Allow
City Negroes With Money TO Vote.
BIoodshed Sure 10 Flow If II Was
Attempted at the POIIs-Irby's At
titude sure 10 widen the Breach
Between the Two Senators.
Columbia. s. c.. Oct. 9.-United States
Senator lrby is out in a long interview to-
night. which win perpetuate. no doubt.
the breach between himself and Senator
Tillman. his erstwhile bosom friend and
co-laborer in South Cardinals political
world.
Speaking of Senator Tillman's suffrage
plan Senator Irby says: ~ look upon that
report as a political monstrosity-one Of
the most dangerous schemes ever con-
cocted in The brain Of man, and when the
convention reconvenes shall fight II and
vote agaist it if / have not another mem
Der upon the floor at my back. Why the
more I study that report, the stronger
my opposition and the greater the danger
/ see in It,"
He proceeds TO analyze and says that
they should at once arouse the white
voters of our state as to the danger that
threatens both the poor and illiterate
white man and also the political suprem-
aoy of the Anglo-Saxon race in our state"
After analyzing the several sections he
says; why. no brave and proud spirited
white man in the old Palmetto state would
accept the suffrage under any such con-
ditions and would sooner lose his right to
vote and be showed Off in the same boat
with the sea island negro. lie would then
indeed be a political exile in the state OF
his birth, but the honest name that he will
bequeath to his. children and his chill
dren's children would not be filed among
the archives Of South Carolina as are the
names of pardoned convicts.
Let this law pass giving educated and
property owning negroes the right to vote,
but denying the poor unlettered white man
that high privilege and you will see our
ballot boxes saturated with blood. In two
years time you can't educate every white
youth in South Carolina both to read and
write for the impoverished condition of
thousands of poor white farmers and la
horers will not permit them to spare the
time for their sons to so to school. And
then what is the result. Their ballot Is
taken from them, and they Will have no
more voice in the government of this state
than the mule that they plow or the dumb
cattle that tread our highways. They must
or property owning negroes, living IN our
towns and cities, are helping to rule and
govern our state, and are making laws for
those poor white men to live under"
Again he says: 81 denounce that report
of the right of the suffrage committee and
of which Senator Tillman Is chairman, as
monstrous and for our reformers in the
convention to pass any such law would be
the basest treachery and the deepest dyed
ingratitude.'
Again he says: II have unsheathed my
sword and thrown away the scabbard. /
am in the battle to the end. No poor and
uneducated white man will lose his vote, II
i have the power to prevent 1t. shall
denounce this outrage upon the floor of
the convention, and / shall denounce 1t
upon the stand before the people. We can
preserve white supremacy In South Caro-
lima without either disfranchising or hu-
initiating a single white voter"
Speaking of the possibility Of fight for
I his seat in the Senate, Irby said: II un-
derstand that a secret caucus has already
been held and a slate ticket formed in Co
lumbla. But / do not care the snap of
/ my finger for the Vaccinations of the poll
ticians. / have anchored my faith and
my hope in the people, and when / get
| the people on my side / can buy up all
the politicians l want at cents a piece.
| Next year we must go before the people,
/ and they will decide who they desire TO
| represent them in the Senate"
All this Is going to make the conven-
/ tion's sessions lively, when that body re-
/ assemblies.