The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-11-05
Constitutional Convention.
THE GREAT THEME OF THE
HOUR.
THE SUFFRAGE QUESTION.
The Women Will Not Vote The Main
Issue Gets Before the Convention.

The Women Will Not Vote--rhe MAR
Issue Gets Before the Convention.
The amendment offered by Mr.. Clay
ton to confer upon women the right u
vote was defeated by 12l to 26. The
closing discussion OF woman suffrage
Geo. ID. Tillman, Geo. e. Prince, John
j. McMahan, j. p. X. Bryan and
others. At the conclusion of MIR
Bryan's speech direct vote was taken
on Mr.. ClaYton's amendment, on which
the ayes and noes were called, result
ing as follows:
Yeas-Clayton, Cooper; Cunning
ham, Dudley. Ellerbe, w. ID. Evans,
Hemphill, Willie Jones, Keitt, McMa.
han, Meares, Miller, j. d. Montgom-
cry, Moore, Nicholson, Parler, Ros-
borough, Shuler, w: g. Smith, Stack
house, Taylor, G. d. Tillman, Thinner
man, Whipper, Wigg.
Nays-Governor John Gary Evans,
President, Aldrich, Alexander, An
derson, Ashe, Atkinson, Austin, Bar
ker, Barton, Bates, Behre, Bellinger,
Bobo, Bowen, Bowman, Bradham,
Breazeale, J. S. Brice, T. w. Brice,
Bryan, Buist. Burns, Cantey, Carver,
Connor, DELAY, Dennis, Dent. Der
ham, Douglass, Doyle, Efrd. Farrow,
Field, Fitch, Floyd, Fraser, Gamble,
Garris, Gary. Gilland, J. l.. Glenn. j..
T. Glenn, Gooding, Graham, Gray,
Hay, Haynsworth, d. S: Henderson,
T. E. Johnston, George Johnstone, l..
b. Jones, E. j. Kennedy, j. w.
Kennedy, Klngh, Lee, Lowman
Lybrand, McCalla, McCaslan, Nc
Gown, McDermotte, MCGOWAN, Nc.
Kagen, McMakin, McWhite, Mat
thews, MITCHELL Morrison, Mower,
Murray, Nash, Otis, Parrot, Patter-
son, Patton, Peake Perritte Prince,
Ragsdale, j. ii. Read, Redfearn, II. r..
Reed, Rowland, Russell, Sheppard,
Singletary, Sigh, Sloan, Smalls, A. j.
Smith, jeremiah Smith, r. F. Smith,
Smoak, Stokes, Stribling, Sullivan,
Talbert, B. r. Tillman, VonKolnitz,
Waters, Watson, Wharton, A. Fl.
White, S. E. White, Wiggins, Stan
yarne Wilson, w. b. Wilson, Winkler,
Woodward.
Mr.. Sigh introduced an amendment
to the effect that the General Assem-
bly, after January, 1898, may provide
that female citizens of che State not
otherwise disqualified by this consti-
tuition and who in addition pay taxes
on 5000 worth OF property, may be-
granted the right of suffrage. This
amendment was debated by Mr.. Sigh,
ID. 8. Henderson and others, and was
laid on the table by vote Of SO to a.
This brought down the question to
the main section of the report from
the suffrage committee, when Mr.. Pat
ton offered the following as substi-
tute:
l. Every male citizen of the State of
South Carolina OF the age of twenty
one years, not laboring under disabili-
ties named in this constitution, who
shall have resided in the State two
years, and in the county in which he
offers to vote ninety days next prece-
ding any election, and who shall have
paid all poll or other tax due by him
ding that in which he shall offer to
vote; and who, in addition thereto,
(a) shall be able to read the constitu-
tion in English print and sign his
name or
(b) shall own in his own name and
return for taxation property in this
State to the amount OF three hundred
dollars; or
(c) shall have been engaged in the
active military or naval service of the
late Confederate States of America !;
or
F., (d) shall he the lawful lineal descend
art of q person who was engaged in
such service, and shall be alive at the
time OF the adoption of this constitu-
tion,
Shall be qualified elector o. this
State, and, when duly registered,
shall be entitled to vote for all officers
that are now or may hereafter be
elected by tho people, and upon all
questions sabn,il ted to the electors at
any election.
2. The ,neral Assem- bly, shall enact
just and equal lnws for the accurate
registry OF tue qualified electors of
this State, and they shall also estab-
lish convenient, fair and impartial
tribunals to pass upon and determine
the qualifications Of persons Offering
themselves for registration as quail
fed electors.
3. A popular government cannot ex-
ist without pure ballot the General
Assembly, therefore, shall enact
stringent laws for the regulation of the
registry and elections of this State,
with severe penalties for the viola
tion OF the same. Any person who
shall willfully violate such laws shall,
upon conviction, in addition to such
penalties as the General Assembly
may impose, be forever disqualified
from voting and debarred from hold
ing public Office In this State and the
disabilities imposed by this section
shall not be removed by the pardon of
the Governor or by Act OF the General
Assembly.
Mr.. Patton made long and able
speech in advocacy Of his plan, in the
course of which he alluded to the con-
viction of Robert Smalls for taking q
bribe In the days Of Radicalism. This
part of the speech caused Mr. Smalls
to rise to question OF privilege, when
he spoke as follows:
Mr.. President, and gentlemen of this
convention :: said few days age
that l would content myself with the
vote that l should cast upon the re.
naming sections Of this suffrage bill
and / did not, sir, intend to do other.
wise, and would not on this occasion
had not the gentleman from Richland
gave as one of his reasons why this
amendment of his should pass, and as
proof of the unfitness of the negroes tC
vote was the cause Of the representa-
tives sent here from Beaufort County
that III the people had examined the rec
ord of the Richland court, one of Beau
forts re presentatives (which Is myself
would not have been here. / regr et
that the gentleman himself did, moi
examine the record OF the Richlan(
court. the record OF the executive
Office of this State and the record o
the United States Supreme Court.
would not rise now II / honestly be