The Afro-American., 1895-10-19
GEN. SlIALLS WINS 4 PUNT.
South Cardinals Convention Mixed
on Mi8eegenation.
SENATOR TILLNAN TAKES A QUEER
PosITION-THE SUFFRAGE PLANK
FOLLOWS THE MISSISSIPPI PLAN.

Slowly and painfully the South Car
DINA constitutional convention drags its
weary length along. Its members have
found that changing the organic law Of
the State is far more ficult than they
thought. To say that they would do
was one thing, to execute what they
said, quite another. The paramount OBJ
.ject was til complete elimination of the
Negro from ali matters political. Upon
this rock they have foundered. The
Negro is greater than was thought, and
after all, there are some ris. !; belong
ing to him which even white men are
bound to respect.
If the fool-kiler is anywhere abroad
in the land be is certainly missing the
opportunity Of immortalizing himself in
remaining away from the convention.
Had he been present few days since
his name would by now, be more wide.
spread than that of .'Jack the Ripper"
And even now he has chance to be-
come famous, and on behalf of those
members Of the convention who are
level headed and in possession OF horse
sense, invite him to make all due
haste possible and at once present him
self for introduction
The above remarks are intended to
draw the attention of the readers of The
AGE to the fact that there are some
white men in the South who yet need TO
be reconstructed, and that though they
lay great pretensions to superiority II
intellect have forgotten that the war is
over, and that the Negro is citizen of
these United States, de jure if not de
fdctO.
When Section was taken up Col.
Robert Aldrich, of Barnwell, offered his
Infamous amendment, which reads as
follows!
"Section Z. No person shall be eli
gible to take or retain a seat in the
House of Representatives unless he is
a white man who has attained the age
Of twenty one years, has been a citizen
aud resident of this State three years
next preceding the day of election and
has been for the last six months OF this
time and shall continue to be resident
of the county which heis to represent"
He proceeded to sustain the constltu-
tionality of his proposition. He read
the 18th and 18th amendments and gave
his Interpretation of them. That the
14th conferred citizenship and the 10th
the right 10 vote, but there was nothing
in the Constitution of the United States
that conferred the right to hold ONCE.
He quoted from the Congressional
Record to show that the very question
had been discusse in the United States
Senate at the adoption of the 18th
amendment and showed that it had been
admitted there that the 10th amendment
did not confer the right to hold office by
such men as Conkling, Edmunds and
other leaders of the North. He also
quoted from the decisions Of the Su-
preme Court to sustain his position.
The learned and distinguished gentle
man from "Bloody Barnwell' had no
sooner closed his speech and taken his
seat Than Senator Tillran took the floor
and said Col. Aldrich's speech was the
greatest display of sheet lightning he
had seen since the convention met, and
there had been a great deal OF it. tie
said he did not suppose there was white
man present who would not favor the
proposition made by Col. Aldrich If he
thought it could be done, but the CUES
ton was could we do it? For the con
vention to adopt such a proposition was
to stultify itself in the face of the 14th
and 18th amendments. That the United
States would not allow such, and would
send troops, if necessary, to prevent it..
He then moved to lay the amendment
on the table, which motion prevailed by
vote of 102 TO %.
The colored members are making eff
forts to have such laws passed as will
be beneficial to black and white alike,
They are in the minority, however, and
have but to offer those resolutions in or
der to have them tabled.
Mr.. Miller, of Beaufort proposed as
Section the following:
Whenever a constitution shall be
made by constitutional convention the
said constitution shall be submitted to
the people of the State for ratification"
In support of his amendment Mr..
Miller called the attention of the mem
bers to the fact that they were framing
fundamental organic law. and that
while they could not see thirty or forty
years ahead they knew that principals
did not change. No convention was
sulerior to the people; that constitu-
tional convention was merely a com
mittee of the people, and its work
should be submitted back to the people
for ratification. Mr.. Sheppard, of Edge,
field, said that to pass the proposed sec
ton was useless, as it would be nullitl
and have no binding effect upon a sue
ceeding convention that each conven
ton was supreme and no action taker
by this convention would have any bind
ing effect upon another. Mr.. Miller
thought that his amendment was proper
and hoped the convention would adop
it. Mr.. Sheppard moved to lay the seq
ton, as proposed, on the table. It wa
carried.
Gen. Smalls. the famous ex- Congress
e. frT1 lvy in