Birmingham age-herald., 1895-09-23
THE THIRD WEEK OPENS With Prospects of Some Work Being Accomplished TOWARDS A CONSTITUTION To Replace the One Now Sing in South
 CsrolinS
 "S MAY LAST TIRES WEEKS LONGER
 g Governor Evans G< sasummary of Work Done and TIS Yet Undone-Tal- bert Dc sthe eColor Line
 Strongly.
TOWARDS A CONSTITUTION
MAY LAST TIRES WEEKS LONGER

Columbia, s. C., Sept. 22.-Without the | slightest intimation of a coming hurri- 1 cane, without word of warning, came | the perfect cyclone of words and sensa- | tionalisms that characterized the open | ing day of the second week of the ses- | sion of the constitutional convention | last week. So far as anyone could fore l see there was every indication that the week would open with perfect tranquil l ity. But late Sunday night little speck | appeared on the horizon over in the di- l rection of Edgefield Its name was Sa- l luda and Tillmanic breezecs were brush | ing il onward. But 'tis useless to speak | of it's dimensions when it struck the con vention hall and overturned the newly | planted trees Everybody is perfectly | familiar with what transpired on that | most sensational day. And then came | the second storm, in which the state newspapers figured. In the last two | days of the second week the convention
 has accomplished more towards the pur pose for which it was called-the fram- | ing of a constitution-than it has In all | of the fortnight preceding.
 | The convention Is now in a position l where 1t can go ahead and do the work | for which it was called-proceed to make | a new constitution for the state of South l Carolina that shall be in keeping with | the wishes of the leading men of the dominent element
 | The convention will probably start to | work on the most important committee | report immediately upon assembling to- morrow morning and from that time on | ward eight night sessions, well as | day sessions, may be looked for. Many of the sections of some of the leading | articles as presented will go through without any debate to amount to any l thing.
 The third week opens with practically | every idea that will be advanced already l presented to the convention and the pub | lie. Really the only thing that has re- | mained in the dark so far has / en the
 accepted" suffrage plan; and for sev- l eral months 1t has been pretty we'll un- | derstood what that plan would be- Now,
 l however. by a glance at the interview l with Governor Evans who Is president
 of the convention, given below. all doubt | as to what the plan is has been removed. | The resolutions committees time limit | is up for presenting new schemes and | suggestions will hardly even get a ref | erence to standing committee. All the | work from this time on will be devoted to | the consideration of the reports of the | several committees, nearly all from the | most important of which have been pre- scented, and to the consideration of | amendments that might be suggested
 | from the floor of the convention. So far l absolutely the only thing accomplish ed | by the convention has been the estab- | lishment of Saluda county, the adoption | of the resolution rebukng the editor of | the State and the awarding of the con- l Vention printing to Charles A. CalVo. Many are expecting that the SC sions | of the convention will extend through | at least three weeks more. Some radical l changes have been recommended by the | several committees which have so far re- ported. There is the proposition chang | ing the terms of state officers and mem- | bers of the general assembly; the pro- vision for general debate on the matter | of chartering enterprises; the provision | giving the governor the power to veto a | part of a bill; the provision for a state | board of pardons the provision for | manhood and women suffrage on prop erty qualification In municipal elections l affecting the issue of bonds, etc.
 | Very little light has yet been thrown | upon the probable scheme for reorgan | izng the judiciary and for dealing with l corporations. The new county scheme, | providing for the reduction of the area l Is rocking along and is sure to go l through in one form or another.
 | Governor Evans, when asked last night | for an interview for the Southern Asso- I ciated Press giving summary of the | conventions work up to date and fore- | cast of the work ahead, spoke as foi- I
 relations to the ma ajority side. is of course
 a matter of widespread interest:
 .'The work of the convention so Tar 1 has been preliminary and in committee, l but judging from the reports or the com l m!ttees filed up to this time am satls- l fled that there will be very little wranS- l ling and that the work will be harmo- l nionsly completed, and I believe it will | be the best constitution ever gotten up | for any state. , | ;,, tendency toward 1 ,epislating too much. but I believe that | that will be expunged by the convention as a whole, and that they VIII pc gov | erned by the general principles of gov | ernment and not by matters or legi | tion. "The committee reports will necessarily | have great force, and they seem to have l been framed with very great care; ana | the chances are that they will be passed | with but very few changes. The most i'm | portant committees are agreed unani- | mously. Lam informed including the | suffrage committee. and the articles upon which we expected most debate bid | fair to be introduced with but very little l change from the committees report.
 T see no reason why the convention | should continue its session longer than | october, certainly not longer than Octo- | Der 2.
 "As to the suffrage plan. there is but | one door open for us and that will be the unanimous report of the suffrage com | mittee I believe that the vast majority | of the members are ready to accept 1t | now but of course there will be some de- | bate by one or two members. who have | pet schemes. What I mean is the Mis- | sissippi plan. with very few modified l tions. That is that we will provide that any person aggrieved shall have a rem | edy by direct appeal to the courts. leav- l ing to the legislat ature to provide the man | ner of holding and conducting elections. | This report will. of course, preserve the | eight box law and registration, as now | provided.
 "I am sorry to see that the majority of | the committee oh executive departments refuse to join in recommending giving l defa iilt-