Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-10-27
SUFFRAGE PROBLEM.
Il Is Still Being Discussed by the
Carolina Convention.
TWO NEGRO MEMBERS SPEAK.
Nfipper, of Beaufort, and Smnlls,
the "Gulinh Statesman" Oppose the
Former Is FOrcibIe.


Whipper. the negro member from Beau
fort, took the floor in behalf OF his race.
and spoke for two hours and a half, deal
ing with the entire situation in perhaps
an even more forcible manner than did
Miller last night. He was particularly Sc
we're on the proposed plan. He was u.s.
tened to with marked attention. He re-
counted many things bearing on the dark
days OF the Reconstruction period.
Robert smalls, the famous "gullah"
statesman. then took the floor and spoke
for an hour, raking the scheme fore and
aft.
Then Senator Tillman had further con-
sideration Of the matter postponed until
| 7:3O o'clock Monday evening. Senator
Irby proposed to recOmmit to a commit
tee 10 have the article construed as TO its
constitutionality.
The two negroes who presented the
cause of their race to-day were both
| members Of the constitutional convention
! OF 1868. which adopted the present Con-
! stitutiOn.
Whpper argued that there never was
| such thing as negro rule i'm South Caro-
! lima. He maintained that when the negro
| was given the ballot he was unfit to re-
ceive it: that white men took advantage
| Of his weakness. got his votes and all
the offices, and did all the stealing. His
! speech was Il powerful one.
THE BILL ~ SNARE.
| In the course Of his argument he said:
Now. to the bill before us. which l
| am compelled to characterize as snare.
| a subterfuge. a deusion. The only thing
| straightforward in connection with it is
= 4 ,n hot az civ
I months or moro before the calling OF this
convention that it was necessary in order
to disfranchise the negro without disiran-
| ch!sing a single white man.
"Why should the negro be thus out.
| ragged, wronged, robbed. defrauded, Of hit
franchise? DO not the white people
North and South, owe him a debt of last.
ing gratitude?
Now. should the negro he dis.
franchised? If so, 1t ought to be done in
an open, frank manner and not By SUBJ
terfuge. as in this article. When sur.
frage was conferred on the negro he was
not fit to exercise it. But there were
many white men in the same condition.
1t was a mistake. The negroes were
led away by the superior race.
Il have been here thirty-one days, and
have heard them try to prove that you
were the superior race. We admit that.
We were just out Of the bondage Of
slavery and ignorance. You have had
culture. You have had schools and col
lcges-ail open 10 you. The doors Of these
have been closed 10 us. We cOnccde your
superiority. but IT is little TO boast of.
Wait thirty years. and see how the negra
advances. We concede that the negro
was unpreparcd for the ballot when he
got II. For 2jj years ali efforts were
directed TO training The ncgrocs' muscles
The white man WIS equally unfit. one
class had been ignorant, the Others had
been taught 20 believe the negro toe
bass OF properly. The negro was AT
the bottom OF the bloody war. 11Ieir
bitterness made them unfit for doing
justice 10 the negro. You viii ind all
these here in the black code, passed by
the whites in 1858. Time has proved they
were not qualified to take the ballot then
offered them.
Il am not here as a suppliant. nor do 1 |
put myself and my race in the attitude |
OF besgar. / am here as a man and !
a rcprese NATIVE not representing simply |
the negro bat representing the people. |
The Iact that / am n negro has nothing |
10 do with my status here.
THE TERM NIGER.
And, just here, | will disress to speak |
Of the iiippant way the term Niger has |
been used in this convention. J am Il |
negro. There are six others here that are |
ncerOes. We are proud Of II. and We hope |
to be- able 10 do something in and out /
of this convention that the negroes VIII |
be proud OF ana white men compelled |
10 recognize. But when men. selected |
from their various counties, as it is fair
TO suppose with a view 70 their intelll-
gence and their good standing at their
various homes, assemble here, with these |
grave duties and responsibilities resting |
upon them and so nppantly Use the
word 'nigger,' spelled with two g's, it is
hurtful. and / feel ii keenly. 1t stings
sharper than a serpent's tooth when II
comes from the venerable gentleman
from Edgeiield, Mr.. G. D. Tillman, whom
L have learned TO respect.
I'VE have only six or Us here, of the in
ferior race. and you have ia men upon |
this floor who are clamor!ng for white
supremacy, and call us n!ggers with the
filppancy Of bar-room attendants. The
trouble is negro rule and white SUI
premacy.' Was there ever any such |
thing as negro rule In South Carolina? 1t |
was the rule of white men. supported
by the negroes. Amt there more negroes
than white men on your farms? Yet, don't |
your wife rule?
In the convention OF 1868 there were
less than dozen negroes. and less than
a dozen white men, engaged in the work |
done there. | am proud Of the work
done in that convention The way IL
has stood the test shows that there was
nothing dangerous in II. They hal sim
ply taken the best parts Of other con-
stitutions."
NEGRO SUPREMACY.
This convention, 1t Is said. Is to prevent
negro rule and establish white suprem-
acy. As as matter OF face. there
never was any negro rule in South
Carolina. When was there ever time
when we had n negro Governor? We
never had a majority of negro officers at
any time in this State. Indeed, there
were only four colored officers, and that
only for a single term each.
There never was a county in this State
controlled by colored officers. In fact.
all OF the important offces-clerks OF the
court treasUTers. auditors. throughout
the whole State, with less than half n
dozen exceptions been flled by
white men. Even in me darkest hours
)f Reconstruction, when the bad Con-
stitution led to the fall Of the Republl- |
can party, white men held the offices; |
white men did the robberles: many OF |
Them Democrats OF the deepest dye, who |
roaped the rewards for their purchase Of
negroes.
There never was a negro lobbyist !
Darading the corridors OF This house. |
they were white men-call them carget-
scalawags. .'enegades. what you
will. they were white mcn-and are re-
sponslble for the bad legislation. Charge |
not this up 10 the account OF the negro |
When you rested In apparent security,
,wnjng the negro himself, there was an
influence at work emanating from the
Throne itself. q situation was brought |
bout that compelled you 10 do him JUS
sl,... ala. |