The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-27
BLACK MEN AND THE BALLOT.
MORE ABLE PLEAS MADE ny REP
RESENTATIVEs OF THE RACE.

structiOn Period, Hut Lays the
blame on the Whites-If the Negro
should be Disfranchised the
speaker Claims Il should be Done
in Frank Manner and Not by
Subterfuge.
Columbia, S. c., Oct. 25.-The constitu-
tiOnal convention this morning resumed
discussion OF the suffrage problem. Del
egate Whipper, a negro member from
Beaufort, took the floor on behalf Of his
race, and spoke for two hours and
half, dealing with the entire situation
in perhaps an even more forcible manner
than did Delegate Miller last night. He
was particularly severe on the proposed
plan He was listened to with marked
attention. lie recounted many things
bearing on the dark days Of the recon
StrucuOn period.
Gen. Robert smaus. the famous Gull
ian statesman, then took the floor and
spoke Tor an hour, raking the scheme
fore and aft Then Senator TiIiman had
further consideration of the matter post
poned until 1880 o'clock Monday evening.
senator Irby proposes to recOmmit 10
the committee to have the article con-
strued as TO its constitutionality.
The Two negroes who presented the
cause of their race to-day We're both mem
| bers of the constitutional convention OF
lS5S which adopted the present consu-
tuition. Whipper argued that there never
was such thing as negro rule in South
Carolina. He maintained that when the
negro was given the ballot he was untt
70 receive IL; that white men took ad-
vantage or his weakness, got his vote and
all the offices and did an the stealing.
Ills speech was powerful one. In the
course OF his argument he said: NOW TO
the bill before us, which / am compelled
10 characterize as snare a subterfuEe
and delusion. The only thing in con
nection with Il is the fact that its au-
thors declared six months or more be-
lore the calling Of this convention that
II was necessary In order to distran-
chise the negro without disfranchising
a single white man. Why should the
negro be thus outraged Wronged, robbed,
defrauded of his franchise? Do not white
people north and south, owe him debt
of lasting gratitude?
Now should the negro be disfranchlsed?
II so 1t ought to be done IN an open frank
manner, and not by the subterfuge In this
article. When suffrage was conferred on
the negro he was not fit to exercise IL.
But there were many white men in the
same condition. 1t was a mistake The ne
groes were led away by the superior race.
l have been here 81 days and have heard
them try to prove that you were the su-
! perior race. We admit that. We were just
out of the bOndages of slavery and ignO-
rance. You have had culture. You have
had schools and colleges--all open TO you.
Ihe doors or these nave been closed 70 us.
| We concede your superiority, but II is lit
| tie to boast Of. Wait 81 years and see how
| the negro advances We concede that the
1
| he got it. For 235 years all efforts were di-
| rected to training the negroes muscles.
| The white man was equally unit. one
/ class had been Ignorant, the other had
| been taught TO believe the negro the basis
| of property. The negro was at the bottom
| of the bloody war. Their bitterness make
| them unfit for doing justice TO the negro.
| You win find all this here in the black code
| passed by the whites in 1865. Time has
| proven that they were not qualified TO
take the ballot then offered to them.
| Il am not here as a suppliant nor do
| j put myself and my race IN the attitude
| Of a beggar. ] am here as a man and
| representative representing not simply
/ the negro, but representing the people.
| The fact that / am a negro has nothing
| to do with my status here and just here
/ / will digress to speak of the 1ippant way
/ the term niger has been used in this
| convention. j am negro Inefe are
| six others here that are negroes. We are
/ proud of IL and we hope to be able to do
/ something In and out of this convention
/ that the negroes will be proud of and white
| men compelled to recognize. But when
! men selected from their various couu-
| ties, as ii is fair TO suppose, with view 70
| their intelligence and their good standing
\ at their various homes, assembled here
| with these grave duties and responsible
ties resting upon them, can so hippantiy
use the word 'niggers, spelt with two
| 'gs, it is hurtful, and feel it keenly. II
stings sharper than serpents t0oth
| when II comes from the venerable gem
| tleman from Edgeheld Mr.. @. D. Till
/ man, whom l have learned TO respect.
We have only six Of us here of the infe-
rior race, and you have l54 Men who
/ upon this floor are clamoring for white
nifty and call us 'nggers with the flip
pancy Of bar-roOm attendants. This
| trouble is negro rule and white su-
! premacy.' Was there ever any such thing
| as negro rule in South Carolina? IT was
| the rule of white men supported by the
! negroes. Amt there more negroes than
| wife rule? In the convention of 1868 there
were less than a dozen negroes and less
| than a dozen white men engaged in the
/ work done there. l am proud of the
/ work done in that convention. The law has
/ stood the test and has shown that there
! was nothing dangerous IN It, They had
! simply taken the best parts of other con-
| stitutions. Most Of the men were to vote
/ as they were told.
This convention, It's said, is to prevent
/ negro rule and establish white suprem-
| acy. Again, as a matter Of fact, there
never was any negro rule in South Car
| olina When was there ever time when
| we had a negro governor. We never had
| a majority of negro officers at any time
| in this state. Indeed there were only
! four colored officers and that only for
| q single term each. There never was a
| county in this state controlled by colored
| officers In fact. all of the important
| officers, clerk Of the court, sheriff, treas
| urer auditors, throughout the whole Of
| the state. with less than half a dozen
exceptions have been filled by white
men Does this look like negro rule?
/ Even in the darkest hours OF recOnstruc-
| ton when the bad legislation led to the
/ fan of the Republican party, white men
/ held the offices: white men did the rob-
/ berries: many Of them democrats of the
| deepest dye, who reaped the reward for
| their purchase Of negroes. There never
! was a negro lobbyist parading the corri-
/ dors Of this house. They were white
men. Call them carpet-baggers, scala
wags, renegades, what you will they
were white men and are responsible for
| the bad legislation. Charge not this up
| to the account Of the negro. When you
| rested in apparent security, owning the
! negro himself, there was an influence at
/ work emanating from the throne itself,
/ a situation was brought about that COM
| PEELED you to do him Justice. He was
/ then a slave; you meet him now as a
man, and you would strip him Of his man
/ hood / appeal to you to stay that hand
| and avoid the consequences, which will
| be inevitable. The correction will come.
| the negro is here and here to stay for
| ever The negro babies born every day
| could not be carried off IN all the ships
/ you could bring to our shores"
Gen. Smalls, among other things in his
speech said: Mr.. President this con-
| Vention has been called for no other pur-
pose than the disfranchisement of the ne
| gro. Be careful ana bear in mind that the
elections which are to take place early
next month in very many Of the states are
watching the action of this convention
especially on the suffrage question. Re-
member that the negro was not brought