The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-02-26
gRe Gdugrtig
$. q. Feb. 20. 1895.
Count us Out.

-.raN.TE -
Senator-Elect Tillman and Governor
Evans speaking as Reformers and cer-
tain gentlemen speaking as Conserva-
tives have a8Daed that the delegates to
the Constitutional Convention should
consisted Reformers and Conservatives
in equal numbers, as nearly IS it will
admit Of division, upon certain condi-
tions. Quoting Senator Tillman the
"mein" one is ''the preservation OF
white supremacy by a qualification OF
the ballot" Another is that ''every
delegate must subscribe to the general
proposition that no white man should
be disfranchised, except for crime" 1t
is clear, 1t is inevitable that these two
conditions cannot be met in the Con-
venticzsSAcept by the enactment or
making possible tho future enactment
of a device by which the negro may be
time susceptible of partial, loose and
flexible application to the white a
From conscious participation or tacit
endorsement of such q scheme, count us
out. To accede to 1t would make us
partStca contrivance designed to make
the easy practice of deliberate fraud; it
would be lending ourselves to the set
ting on foot Of q bold, shameless, and
calculated system of election %thievery;
1t would be for us to assist in the ma
licious obliteration of the public con-
science and in the sale Of the peoples
integrity. Count us out.
We deplore the presence of the ne
gro vote in the South. We shudder at
the impeachment Of white supremacy.
Rut We Sslieve that it may be preserv-
Vi without resort even too refined and
rewdly fabricated method of election
'ceny. So grave a problem must per-
OF solution without the debauchery
abandonment Of conscience.
fe greatly regret that any Conser-
i've should have given his consent to
compromise. Their motives doubt
less were good, they were acting as
they conceived the public interest die
tated. We have had and still have the
greatest respect for them but they did
not act for us. We repudiate the sug-
gestion of u compromise with Tillman
which to us involves the sacrifice of
self-respect.
We confess to something like a feel
ing OF lassitude, of hopeless disgust
with regard to this Constitutional Con-
vention. We had hoped for a high pa
triotism to deal with the question of
s~uffrage,--one that would not have
hinched at the enactment of an educa-
tional qualification applying to all men
ailke,-one, as we deem, necessitated
by our unfortunate race conditions.
we have so far found it conspicuously
absent from all factions and factions of
factions. II is notifying and humil-
-1ating~' So we have about ceased to
care whether or not we have represen-
tation in the Constitutional Conven-
ton.
However, on the 14th of March the
books will open for q new registration.
We may all want to vote when the
time comes. Let lis get registration
tickets. We advise and urge every
man in Laurens County above the age
OF Il, Tillmanite and Anti to prepare
for any contingency that may arise.
Register! Don't be fooled with the
twaddle Of compromise. Register
whether or not there be compromise
and If adecent, respectable compromise
should be effected, all right, and if not,
then we are armed and equipped for
action in the August elections.