The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-11-05

4 tho BShVioLhdu lTOu INlCnlaQu, Will
nothing, sir, against me. was triet
In Ric cnland court on a charge mad,
by thief-Josephus Woodruff, VIII,
acknowledged that he had robbed tn,
State out of 1000, and he wa
granted immunity by the State IL h,
would convict me.
He testified that OF twenty check,
which he had given to "cash or tc
bearer" one was given to Robert
Smalls Why SOP
Simply because they found that
had deposited in tho banking and
trust company So, 900 on the 18th day
to examine the record they found that
the check was drawn on the 10th oi
said month. On examining the calen.
dar thoy found that the 10th day OF
January was Sunday and that IL the
check was given me on that day !
could not bave deposited it until the
10Th.
The case was appealed from court to
court and was dOcketed in the United
States Supreme Court under section
657. Without my consent or knowl-
edge the Governor sent me q free par
don to Beaufort. The Attorney Gem
eral went to the Supreme Court aud
asked that the case be thrown out on
account of it having been adjudicated
in this State. l tried my best to get q
hearing. Gentlemen Just like this
gentleman tonight (Mr. Patton) have
caused more trouble in South Carolina
than anything that has ever hap
pened. Those kind Of speeches, those
inuendoes have caused today all the
trouble we have had. 1t carried this
that | have never since 1 was born
ever defrauded South Carolina out of
penny.
Mr.. Patton: l have never charged
it.
Mr.. Sualls: Yes, you did. am to-
night as clean citizen as you are, for
your own court gave up the case
against me, but thank God for South
Carolina you are like myself in this
convention, for whatever you offer
goes down Great laughter.)
Mr.. HaynswOrth said it seemed that
we are being fired on from two quar-
ters. First from Beaufort and then
from Richl md. The gentleman from
Beaufort charges that there is fraud
In this bill. They wont read this bill
section for section and say so. The
gentleman from Richlaud reads it and
reads between the lines and claims
there would be fraud.
The committee was actuated alone
by South Carolina's good. Our object
was to establish such system of
elections as would be credit to her
and at the same time secure white
supremacy. They who rule this land
and bought it by blood were turned
over just after the war to the keeping
of their slaves. We had the supremacy
OF thieves and rogues, backed by black
votes and yet we are told it was not
negro supremacy. Years of bitter ex-
perience has taught US o lesson that
we will never forget as long as the
sun shines. The negro forces can be
marshaied as long as matters stand
now as they do and the. only thing
that stands between US and repeti-
tion of the scenes of corruption was
fraud and the shotgun. The commit
tee did not want to sect hat perpetual
ed and our object was 10 give the State
clean and pure election law.
Speaking of the general scheme, he
said it was the scheme to have gem
eral registration of those who can
read or write or all who own 5000 or
more Of property after 1898. The elec-
tions are to be open and free. A
scheme more honest than this cannot
be devised.
The objection that white men will
be registered up to 1898 by fraud is
not correct. 1t is only discrimina-
tion. Mr.. Pattons intent is the same
as ours and If fraud is in the intent of
one 1T is no freer from it than another.
A man can be registered If he under
stands q clause in the cons titution.
must not be all but only clause
We can't obtain white supremacy by
keeping our hands tied. The white
illiterates must be taught to master o
clause of the constitution and under
this he will be entitled to vote. The
law Is no subterfuge. 1t Is plainly
written.
What are the objections TO Mr.. Pat
toms plan? 1t is at variance with the
genius of the American people. Not
Oily is it discrimination, but it is dis
elimination that will bring down upon
us the wrath Of the Northern people,
the very thing he seeks to avoid. 1t is
class Legislation 1t makcs O. class of
these gentlemen.
MIR. Patton: SIS the pension law
class Legislation. 2"
Mr.. Haynswcrth replied that the pen
sion legislation was reward for SER
vices. But this gives q class of citi-
zens rights and privileges that other
citizens do not enjoy.
Mr.. Wigg: What is the difference
between O man who steals vote and
one who steals a dollar?"
Mr.. Haynsworth said that whatever
of fraud was committed in South
Carolina was occassioned by the very
race to which Mr.. Wigg belonged
They brought about period of cor
ruption and fraud unparalleled in the
history of the world.
Mr.. Wigg: "We admit our sins and
pray the good Lord to forgive us."
(Laughter.)
Mr.. Miller said he thought the white
| people had selected very extraor-
dinary champion, when Mr.. Patton
said ho had been asked to reply to the
statements of the delegates from
Beaufort. He had been charged with
slandering the State in his figures
given relative to soldiers in the Revo-
lutionary War. He got his figures
from the man who stood jeff Davis's
bond Horace Greeley. He would not
intentionally slander his State or the
South, which needed defense rather
than slander.
Replying to Mr.. Patton, he said in
1876 he was q member of the Legisla-
ture with Col. Sloan and called upon
him to say whether the black phalanx
in that body did not rally under Mem
minger to establish financial reform.
He referred to the thirty negro mem
bers of tho Legislature in 1875, who
came to the rescue of those white
members bent on financial reform, but
who would have failed but for that
negro vote.
Millar want IN n land tho Ranuhli