The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-09-05
THE SOUTH CAROLINA oUANDARY.

ly funny were 1t not so serious Is that In
which the South Carolinians find them
selves. For years they have been going
along under a very cunning scheme put
into operation in 1882 to keep political
power in the hands of select few. A
registration law went into operation in
that year which provided for the regis
tration of certain classes, and their sons
who should attain manhood. The plan
worked as satisfactorily and as dissatis-
factorily as all political schemes do. 1t
kept the political power in the hands
where it was intended to be kept until
the Tillman revolution changed the
situation. Among other reforms prom
ised by Tillman was the calling of
Convention which would amend the
Constitution so as to bring the
suffrage upon a more honest basis.
The Convention proposition carried, and
now it must be held, though the Till
NANTES are not at all so anxious for
it as before they got the registration
machinery in their own hands Now
the most absorbing question in South
Carolina is to fix up some sort of a
suffrage provision which will disfran-
chise the negroes, without appearing to
do so. Of course, if they come out
squarely, and disfranchise the negroes on
account of color, race, or previous con-
dition of servitude," it will raise storm
in the rest of the country, which may
be inconvenient, and besides will deprive
the State of several Representatives in
Congress, and the thought of losing any
chance of getting into Congress is par
ticularly abhorrent to every true South
Carolinian. The tormenting question is
as to some trick of words which will
dodge the plain letter of the 18th and
10Th Amendments.
Every paper in the State now has
columns of "plans," and schemes" by
which "white supremacy can be secured,
and yet fair elections assured" Many
of these are really conical, but most of
them show a great deal of ingenuity.
OF course, to make, any educational or
property qualification would cut out
tens of thousands of hpo' white trash,
which will not be endured, and let in
many negroes who. haye acquired some
property and fair education. One
scheme, which received much common
dation, but was clearly impracticable,
was to give every man number OF
votes in proportion to the taxes he paid.
This the Tillmanites would not hear of.
Another made certain restrictions as to
property and education, but exempted
from these restrictions call those who
had borne arms in defense of the State,
and the descendants of such" which
would take in every white man, except
Northerners who have immigrated into
the State since the war.
J. Altheus johnson urges the follow
ing, which he is sure will accomplish
the desired object:
Section /. In all elections by the people
the electors shall vote by ballot; and every
male person. II years of age and upwards,
except idiots, insane persons and Indians not
taxed, who shall have been resident of the
State for u months and Of the County in
WHICH lie Offers I'd vote SlA lnDnIilS, anu Oh
the voting precinct or ward for one month,
and who has never been convicted of treason,
murder, robbery, duelling bribery, burglary,
arson, obtaining money or goods under false
pretenses, perjury, larceny embezzlement,
forgery, or bigamy. and who shall be able TO
read any article of this Constitution or any
section of the statutes of this State, or who, in
bis own right, shall be possessed of an estate
of freehold III such County of the value Sl00
over and above all encumbrances, the convey
ancc of which, if by deed, shall have been re-
corded at least 80 days, or who on the 18th
day of November, A. d. 1860 was citizen
OF the United States, or who is descended from
a person who on the said date was n citizen of
the United States, shall be deemed qualified
as an elector, and, on registration as provided
by law, shall be entitled to vote at all cleo
tions by the people.
Mr.. johnson thinks the phrase "who,
on the 7th of November, A. ID. 1860"
ETC., very happy invention. 1t is
likely the Supreme Court of the United
States would take different view of it.
Moreover, it excludes all white immi-
grants since 1860 and their descendants
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