The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-10-15
THE SUFFRAGE PLAN
AS Reported Bitterly Attacked and
Its Alleged Effect Of DISTINGUISHING
Whites Pointed Out. War B.
t1xaan the Senator'S

Senator Irby, in an interview which
was published in the Columbia Regis,
ter. vigorously attacks the report Of
the Suffrage Committee, Of which Sen
ator Gilman is chairman, to the Con-
stitutiousl Convention. Senator Irby
says:
"L look upon that report as politi-
cal monstrosity-one Of the most dan
gerous schemes ever concocSed in the
brain Of man, and when the Conven-
ton 1econs enes I shall fight it and vote
against it, if + have not another mem.
Der upon the door at my back. Why,
the more I study that report the
stronger my opposition and the great
G: shc danger I see in it. Let US
analyze the Suffrage Committees pro.
posed articles:
In the first place, here is sweeping
clause positively disfranchising every
white man in South Carolina who is
not able both to read and write; or
does not own and pay taxes upon $3.50
worth Of property in our State. This
language is too plain to be misuudcr-
stood. It is total disfranchisement
Of the poor aud illiterate white man,
as we'll as the negro laboring under
the same political disabilities.
''But tn ere is q tail to this Suffrage
kite, il. It proviso that holds good until
January l, 1898, which permits the
registration officer, if be sees fit and
proper to do SO, to grant pardon TO
such voters as he may see TT and
proper, subject to his amnesty-for
the heinous crime of being poor and
illitcrate-- and thus place them upon a
political equality with the educated
negro and who has accumulated prop
erty. But even this proviso is coupled
with Il provision SO ignominous and
degrading that q proud-spirited Anglo
Saxon voter would sooner lose his right
Of suffrage than to accept such political
charity Here is what Senator Till
mans report says:
"'A separate record Of all illlterate
persons thus registered sworn to By. the
registration officers, shall be fled, one
copy with the Clerk of the Court, one
copy with the Secretary OF State, ETC.
'In other words, for poor uneduca-
ted man TO vote, after this law passes, a
palpable and bareface fraud must be
committed, and then the name Of the
beneficiary Of this pardon must be
filed as Il public record, both at his
court house and at the State Capitol
in Columbia. Tt will be public and
perpetual document of rep=oach upon
thousands Of honest family names in
South Carolina, and the. descendants
for generations to come Of these par
doned voters .ill have the fact thrown
in their teeth that their ancestors be-
ing poor and illiterate were permitted
to vote IN direct conflict with the spirit
of tlcir State Constitution, through L
pardon and special act Of suffrage.
"Why, no brave anu proud spirited
white man in the old Palmetto State
would accept suffrage under any such
conditions, and would sooner lose his
right to vote and be showed off in the
same boat with the Sea Island negro.
He would then indeed be a. political
exile in the State cf his birth, but the
honest name that be will bequeath to
his children would not be fled among
the archieves Of South Carolina as are
the names of perdo1ed convicts.
Il am responsible for the calling Of
our Constitutional Convention. [
pledged the white voters OF South
Carolina tnat not one Of them should
lose ;ls ballot on account of ignorance
or proverty, and ! shall sacredly keep
this solemn covenant; and if it is
broken by Senator Tillman and the
convention it will be with my denuncia-
ton Of the infamous plot ringing in
the cars Of the delegates. What brave
and self-rcspecting whiteman desires
his names handed down to future
generations as being so poverty stricken
and ignorant that separate clause
had to be engrafted into the Constitu-
tior of his State to enable him to vote.
II have unsheatbed my sword and
thrown away the scabbard. I am in
the battle to the end. No poor and
uucducated white man will lose his
vote if I have the power to prevent it.
I shall dcnounce this outrage upon
the floor Of the convention, and shall
leuouucc it upon the stand before the
people We can preserve white su-
premacy in South Carolina without
either disfraucLiscment or humiliat
i1g single W hite voter.