Birmingham age-herald., 1895-10-02
SAT DOWN ON DIVORCE Did the South Carolina COnStitu-
 tionaI Convention. A DAY AND NIGHTS DEBATE Before the Vote Was Reached Senator Till-
 man Snubbed for Once. PROPOSED RECESS TO JANUARY LABELED The Provisions Relating to Suffrage Are Presented-They Are Manifold and
 Iron-Clad = The Authentic
 Text of the Same.
A DAY AND NIGHTS DEBATE
PROPOSED RECESS TO JANUARY LABELED

Columbia, s. C., Oct 1.-After running debate all through last nights session and through nearly all of today, the con- vention has decided there shall never be a divorce granted in South Carolina for any cause.
 The vote was 86 to 49. Senator Tillman did his best to have the divorces of other states recog nized in this state, but for once his appeals were heard with deaf ear and he was voted down. The Bible was quoted from very freely during the debate. The parliamentary clincher was put on after the matter was adopted.
 There was a big fight today to have the convention take recess until January IA. This was killed. Then an effort was made to have a recess of ten days. It, too, failed, the vote being 86 to 5S.
 At o'closk the provisions relating to the suffrage were presented. They read as follows:
 Section 4. The qualified tions for suf- frage shall be as follows:
 (a) Residence in the state for two years; in the county for one year; in the election district in which the electors of fer to vote four months; and the payment of poll tax six months before any cleo tion. Provided, however, that ministers Of the gospel in charge of any organized church shall be permitted to vote after six months residence.
 (b.) Registration which shall provide for the enrolment of every elector once in ten years.
 (c.) The person applying for registra- tion must be able to read and write any section of this constitution, and must show that he owns and pays taxes on $500 worth of property In this state. Provid- cd a the first rppiStratiO nDder this constitution and up to January l, 1898, all male persons of voting age who can read clause in this constitution or under stand and explain 1t when read to them by the registration officer shall be ent- tied to register and become electors. separate record of all illiterate persons thus registered, sworn to by the registra- tion officer, shall be filed--one copy with the clerk of the court and one in the office of the secretary of state on or before Jan uary 1, 1898, and such person shah remain during life qualified electors unless dis qualified by the provisions of section of this article. The certificate of the clerk of the court or of the secretary of state shall be sufficient evidence to establish the right of said class of citizens to reg istration and the franchise.
 (d.) Any person who shall apply for reg istration after January 1, 1898, if other wise qualified, may be registered, provid- ed he can read and write any section of this constitution or can show that he owns or has paid taxes during the pre- ViOuS year on property In this state as- sessed at $500 or more.
 (e) Managers of elections shall require of every elector offering to vote at any election before allowing him to vote proof of payment of all taxes, including poll tax, assessed against him for the previous year.
 f) Registration certificates when lost shall be renewed if the applicant is qual- flied under the provisions of this conslitu- tion, of if he has registered as provided in subsection "c."
 Sec. 5. Any person denied registration shall have the right to appeal to any and all courts of this state to determine the question under the limitations imposed in this article; and the general assem- bly shall provide by laws for the correc- tion of illegal or fraudulent registration and the punishment of the same.
 Sec. 6. The following persons are dis qualified from being registered as voters:
 Q) Persons convicted of burglary, theft, arson, obtaining goods or money under false pretenses, perjury, forgery. robbery, bribery. adultery, embezzle- ment, bigamy, or crimes against the cleo tion laws; provided, that the pardon oi the governor shall remove such disqual- ificauons.
 CD Persons who are idiots, insane pau pers. supported at the public expense, and persons confined in any public prison.
 Sec '. For the purpose of voting no person shall be deemed to have gained or lost residence by reason of his pres ence or absence while employed in the service of the United States, nor while engaged in the navigation of the waters of this state or of the United States or of the hii n seas.
 Sec. s. he general assembly shall pro vide for the registration of all qualified electors and shall prescribe the manper of holding elections providing that each of the two parties casting the highest number of votes at the preceding elec- tion shall have representation on the board of managers at each precinct, and on the board of county canvassers in each county.
 Sec g. The several counties in the state shall be divided into election districts with one precinct in each of the same, at which alone the voter registered for that precinct can cast his ballot; provided, that a voter can be transferred from one election district to another
 Sec 10. The general assembly shall pro- vide by laws for the holding of party primary elections and punishng frauds at the same.
 Sec. Il. The registration books shall close at least thirty days before an cleo ton, after which transfers and registra- tion shall not be legal except as to per sons coming of age in the interim.
 Sec. F. Electors in municipal elections shall possess all the qualifications herein prescribed.
 Sec 1S.-At any special election in in- corporated towns and cities of this state , for the purpose of bonding the same or for the raising of revenue all resident owners of property in said cities and towns of the assessed value of $200, who are qualified electors under this consti- tuition, shall alone be entitled to vote At such elections the voter shall produce a receipt for all taxes, county, state and municipal, for the previous year as evil dence of his right to vote
 Sec IA. Electors shall in all cases ex- cept treason. felor6 or breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest on the