The Butler weekly times., 1895-12-05
SOUTH CAROLINA'S NEW CON
STlTUTlON.
Constructed So As TO Maintain White
Supremacy.

Columbia, S. c., Nov. 2S.-South
Carollna's Constitutional Convention
will adjourn sine die next Tuesday.
All the work of the convention has
now been completed, except that OF
final revision of the changes made in
the Constitution, which is in the
hands of a committee. The body
has been in session continuously
with the exception of a ten days
recess, since the tenth OF September.
The new Constitution will be differ
ent in many respects from the one
it will supersede. The most import
ant change will be in the suffrage
article. In round numbers there are
100000 adult male negroes an d
100000 adult male whites in South
Carolina. The present Constitution
of South Carolina was adopted in
1868 and was framed by conven-
ton composed mostly of recently
liberated slaves and dominated by
Northerners, who came into the
State at the close of the war. 1t
was patterned after those Of Massa
chusetts and Ohio. The greatest
objection to it was against the suf-
frage article, which bestowed the
franchise on all male citizens of the
age of 81 years and upwards, not
laboring under certain disabilities
named. Some Of the most intelli
gent negro members Of the conven
ton of 1868 were opposed to uni
versal suffrage and wanted an
educational qualification imposed.
which would have prevented vast
majority of the members OF their
own race from voting.
The present Constitution provides
a natural negro majority of 10000,
which has been overcome by an in
genious registration law, which re
quired each officer to be voted for in
separate box, the voter being com
PEELED to select the proper box.
The leading men of the State have
always recognized that there was a
possibility of one or the other or
both OF them being overturned in
the Federal courts. This possibility
induced them to advocate the calling
OF convention for the purpose OF
framing a Constitution permitting
such qualification of the suffrage as
would insure maintenance of white
supremacy. There was great OBJ
lection to the calling of the conven
ton from the illiterate whites There
are about $4,000 illiterate white
adult males in this State. The con
vention could meyer have been called
had not most explicit promises beel
given that these men would be takei
care Of.
How to cut down the negro ma
joritv and preserve the vote OF th'
white men, and to do it in such 1
way as to run the gauntlet of tn
Federal Courts was the Difficult
problem which engaged the atten
ton of the convention, in whicl
there are only six negroes.
Senator Tillman, who led the tigh
for the calling of the convention
was made Chairman of the Suffrag
Committee. The suffrage article @
the new constitution provides for a
alternative educational or propert
qualification for voters. Any ma
who can read or write or who pay
taxes on $500 worth OF property ha
the right to vote. Had the conver
ton stopped there the illiterat
whites would have been disfranchis
ed. They are provided for in
clause which says that anyone VIII
, cannot vote under either propert
or educational qualification shall /
given the right to vote for life If h
can understand section OF the col
stitutiou when read to him by th
\ registration officer. This upde
standing clause is only to be operi
tive for two years. All males attain
ing their majority after 1898 mu
comply with the educational {
= property qualification in order to |
allowed to vote. This clause WIS