The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-10-16
SUMTER S. c.. WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER 16, 1895

n..1 .-@S@e= -
State shall be sufficient evidence to
establish the right of said class of
citizens to registration and the fran
chise.''
"Now, let US ana}yze this section
and see what it means: In the first
place here is sweeping clause posi-
lively disfranchising every white man
in South Carolina who is not able
both to read and write or owns and
pays taxes upon $500 worth of prop
erty in our State This language is
too plain to be misunderstood. 1t is
a total disfranchisemeht of the poor
and iiliterate white men as we'll as
the negro laboring under the same
political disabilities.
''But there is tail to this suffrage
kite that holds good uniil January l,
1893. which permits the registration
officer, if he sees proper and fit to do
so, to grapt pardon to such voters
as he may see fit and proper, subject
to his amnesty-for the henious crime
of being poor and il!iterate-and
thus place them upon a political
equality with the educated negro and
who has accumulated property. But
even this proviso is coupled with
provision SO ignominious and de-
grading that proud-spirited Anglo
Saxon voter would sooner lose his
right of suffrage than to accept such
political charity. Here is what
Senator Tillman's report says: ga
record Of all illiterate per-
sons thus registered, sworn to by the
regi alton officer, shall be filed. one
copy with the clerk of court, one
copy with the Secretary Of State.
etc" In other words. for a poor,
man to vote after this
law passes, palpable and barefaced
fraud must be committed and then
the name of the beneficiary of this
pardon must be filed as public re
cord, bott, at his court house and at
the State capitol in Columbia 1t
will be public and perpetual docu-
ment of reproach upon thousands OF
honest family names in South Carroll
ma and the descendants for genera
tions to come of these pardoned
voters will have the fact thrown III
their teeth tha. their ancestors being
poor and illiterate were permitted to
vote in direct conflict with the spirit
of.their State Constitution, through
pardon and special act of srfrage.
"Why, no brave and proud spirit
ed white man in the old palmetto
State would accept suffrage under
any such conditions and would sooner
lose his right to vote and be showed
off in the same boat with the sea
island negro. He would then indeed
be political exile in the State Of his
birth, but the honest name that be
will bequeath to his children and his
children's children would not be filed
among the archives of South Carolina
as are names of pardoned convicts.
II am responsible for the calling
of our Constitutions, Convention. !
pledged the white voters of South
Carolina that not one of them should
lose his ballot on accountof Ignorance
or poverty, and shall sacred!y keep
this solemn covenant; and if it is
broken by Senator Tillman and the
Convention. it will be with my de-
nunciation of the Infamous plot ring
ing in the ears of the delegates.
What brave and self respecting white
man desires his name handed down
to future generations as being so
poverty stricken and ignorant that a
separate clause had to be engrafted
into the Constitution Of his State to
enable him to vote. But this pardon
for illiteracy and poverty is only
temporary. 0eiC 10 oHOLnei N'"ooo ~
Senator Tillman's report that even re-
moves the pardoning power oMl
years hence aud requires strict edu-
cational and property qualification to
become voter. Read it carefully
and then tell me how this coinides
with the pledge that B. R. Tillman
made the people, that if they would
call Constitutional Convention and
trust him, that no white man should
be disfranchised:
"'Any person who shall apply for
registration after January l. 1898, if
otherwise qualified, must be regis
tered, provided, that he can both
read and write any section of this
Constitution or can show that he
owns and has paid taxes during the
previous year on property in this
State assessed at $500 or more
Managers Of election shall re-
quire of every elector offering to vote