The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-04-23

i stitutional and void, as herein prayed
: the whole enactments in regard to reS
. istratton are likewise void.
: That your orator Is advised and h
SO charges that all of the section
3 hereinbefore quoted from and referre
! to as contained in the General Statute
. of 1882 and Revised Statutes Of 1896
and the Act of 1904, are i'm violation O
Section thirty-one (3I), OF Article On
\ ~ Section Two ~ of Article Eigh
(8) and Section Eight (8) of Articl,
Eight (S) and divers other section O
the Constitution OF the State of South
Carolina, in this, that they add to tn,
qualifications of electors provided fol
in the said Constitution, further
qualification not therein provided, to
wit: Registration as required by the
several sections of Chapter Seven (7)
Title Two (2) of Part One U) of said
General Statutes of 1882, also, known
as Chapters Eight t8) of Title Two e.
OF Part (1) OF the Revised Statutes OF
South Carolina of 1893, and as also re-
quired by Sections 4, S, g. and 8 OF
the aforesaid Act of 1894; and in this,
that they add to the causes authOriz-
ing the Legislature of said State to de-
prive tho citizens thereof of the right
OF suffrage, clause not contained in
said Constitution. to-wit: q failure to
be possessed at the time of election of
a certificate OF registration although
when duly registered upon the books Of
registration and in this, that the sew
eral supervisors of registration of said
State are directed to open their regis
tratiOn books after each general cleo
| tiOn for the registration only OF those
citizens coming of age and becoming
qualified as electors since such general
election; and to close said books and to
keep them closed as to all other classes
OF unregistered electors |; with no pro-
vision in said unconstitutional regis
tratiOn laws, except the ten days pro-
vided for in the Act of 1894 after the
registration of those who coming of
age aud becoming qualified to vote for
the general election of 1882; or the
general election of 1884, or the general
election of 1885, or the general elec-
tion OF 1888 or the general election Of
1890; or the general election of 1892,
failed to register at the time provided
in said laws for the registration of
such voters that insomuch as no per-
son shall be allowed to vote unless re-
gistered as provided by the aforesaid
laws. and insOmuch as none of the said
laws provide FER the registration per-
iod next succeeding their coming of
age and becoming qualified as electors,
expecting within the aforesaid
ten days said registration laws do
deprive all such voters of their right
of suffrage and all such voters are per-
manently disfranchised in plain viO-
latiOn OF their constitutional rights.
TX. That by Section Two (2) of Ar
ticle One (I of the Constitution of the
United States it is provided that the
Federal "electOrs in each State shall
have the qualifications requisite for
electors of the most numerous branch
of the State Legislature" That the
effect of the above quoted clause is
that the Constitution OF the United
States has provided that the qualifica-
tion of the Federal electors in the
State Of South Carolina shall be the
same as those provided In the Consti-
tuition Of t1e said last named State. for
electors of the most numerous branch
OF the State Legislature, as completely
and clearly as though each and every
one of said qualifications were in exact
words Incorporated, in the Constitu-
tion OF the United States-and your or
atOr AYERS that the said registration
laws are in violation of said Section
Two (2) OF Article One u) Of the said
Constitution in this, that they UNDER
take to add to the qualifications of the
Federal electors of the State of South
Carolina qualifications not pre-
scribed by the Constitution of
the United States, and your orator
further AYERS that the said reg
istratiOn laws OF the State of South
Carolina are in violation of Section
One ~ Article Fourteen (l4) of the
Constitution OF the United States and,
also, are in violation of Section Ono
Ql of Article Fifteen (l5) and of divers
k,,. Coz A :,lo
strument.,
And your Orator further AYERS and
charges that said registration laws are
not reasonable, uniform, or impartial
regulations of the elective franchise
but, on the contrary, their purpose
and effect is directly and Indirectly to
abridge the constitutional right OF the
citizens to vote-to embarrass, render
burdensomc, the exercise of the cleo
tive franchise and under p"etense OF
regulating, to utterly destroy tho suf-
frage Of your orator and a large num-
ber of other citizens of said State in
like circumstances with him.
y. BY Section Two ~ OF the afore-
said Act of 1894 1T is provided that the
election OF delegates to the said con-
stitutiOnal convention shall be held on
the third Tuesday in August, 1895,
that the said convention shall assem-
BILE on the second TuesdaJ in Scptem-
ber, 1895, that such convention is call
ed for the purpose of revising, amend.
ing or changing the constitution of the
| said State, and when assembled, will
have full power to revise, alter,
abridge, curtail and qualify the right
! Ct your orator and of all citizens OF the
said State of South Carolina to vote
for the members 3f the most. hume,
GUS branch of the State Legislature,
and thereby to revise, alter, abridge
and curtail the qualifications now re-
quisite to enable your orator to vote at
all Federal elections, as now imposed
by the Constitution of the United
States.
X[. That w. ,Biggs Green has been
{, appointed to the office OF Supervisor OF
Registration for Richland County
aforesaid under and in pursuance of
said unconstitutional registration laws
that he is now exercising the tuties
prescribed by the same, and your ora
tor has been informed and believes
that he intends to continue so TO do.
and furthermore he specifically intends
to furnish and deliver to the several
boards of managers for the several
precincts in Sichland' County, afore.
said, to be hereafter appointed. to hold
the election of delegates to the said
Constitutional Convention, certain
paper writings purporting to be the
registration books aforesaid of the
several precincts to be used by said
Managers at said aDDrOachin inc electinn