The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-11-06
,al assembly after January !


was rejected.
MIR. PARROTS PLAN.
Mr.. PARROTS amendment came next
"All electors otherwise entitled to
the right of suffrage by action of this
convention, and pay taxes on proper
ty to the amount of 5000 or more, and
who represent family, as the head
thereof, shall have the right to cast
two votes in all elections of this
State"
This was rejected also-after very
short discussion.
BY GOV. SHEPPARD.
When the following amendment Of
fered by Gov. Sheppard came up,
Senator Tillman accepted it on the
part of the committee:
Add the following as subsection
"g" to wit: 'The general assembly
shall not impose any qualifications
upon the right of registration not pre-
scribed by this article"
Mr.. Patterson thought that there
was something Objectionable in this,
though the committee was willing to
accept it.
Senator Tillman stated that there
was no objection to this provision
whatever.
Governor Sheppard then stated that
it was simply carrying out the plan of
the committee. They should make the
matter plain.
Mr.. Wilson stated that this amend
ment prevented the legislature from
providing for changes of residence.
Mr.. Sheppard said that was provided
for in the article.
DR.. Smith then moved to table the
amendment and it was done.
Mr.. Lee offered an amendment dis
pensing with the requirement that the
voter present his certificate at the
polls. He stated that this amendment
would put stop to the practice, said
to have prevailed in the past, of issu-
ing certificates, contrary to law, up to
the very day of election. After brief
running debate the amendment was
killed.
The convention then took a recess
till 7:30 tonight.
IRBY's SURPRISE.
When the convention reassembled
tonight Senator Irby moved that the
further consideration of the suffrage
article be deferred, and that the Con-
vention take up the article on educa-
ton. He thought it well to let the
delegates have time to think over the
various suffrage schemes. He thou yht
too that before the convention fixed
an educational qualification, proper
provision should be made for the edu-
cation of the masses.
Senator Tnlmon said this looked
like an effort to stave off his speech.
Senator Irby-Mr. President, have
not had the member in the back of my
head for very long time.
Senator Tillman moved to table Sen
ator Irby's motion. The motion to ts-
BILE was lost by a vote of "a nays to
63 years.
Senator Irby's motion to postpone
was then lost by vote of 81 nays to
81 yeas.
TILLAIAN SPEAKS.
Senator Tillman now rose to speak.
For nearly three hours he commanded
the wrapt attention of his auditory.
The report sent to the Southern Asso-
ciated Press at Washington, and by it
distributed over its territory, charac-
terizes Tillman as "the speech of his
life" The first hour and half of it
was a review of the grotesque saturna-
liza of crime and robbery in this State
under Republican rule. He gave a
mass of facts and figures which he
said he intended should 60 to the
world, as justification of what this
Convention was about to do. That
government, while largely composed
of native and carpet-bag whites, was
based on black votes and sustained by
them; and one purpose this body was
to eliminate that vote as far as the
fourteenth and fifteenth amendments
would allow. 4e then explained the
suffrage clause at length. "When he
began to reply to the sensational
speech of his fellow U. S. Senator,
Irby, of Laurens, delivered this morn
ing t fireworks began. Tillman was
saying that Irby had charged that
Gov. Evans had fled the State in a po-
litical emergency and that on all occa-
sions of moment when the existence
of this convention was threatened by
fierce opposition to its being called
Irby had failed to appear.
'Irby started up from his seat and
explained that on the occasion referred
to he was detained at home by family
reasons, and then went on to charge
that at the crisis of the last campaign
Gov. Evans had disappeared beyond
the reach of telegraph or mail, and
had reappeared when the fight was
over, with the story that he had been
to see his girl and that he was afraid
he would be called on to make pledges
which he could not perform.
There was another sensational
scene when Tillman turned to Mr..
Patton, one of the leading Conserva-
tive delegates from Columbia, and ac-
cused him of having drawn the cloak
hypocrisy and Phariseeism around
him in attacking the suffrage plan
suggested by committee of which Till
man is chairman.
South Carolina legislative bodies
follow precedent British parliament
by allowing members to sit hated.
Patton was just behind Tillman
with hat on head. He sprang to his
feet, barring his head as he did so, and
challenged the Senator to make good
or retract his words. Advancing to
within arms reach of the Senator,
Patton, leveling his fingers straight at