The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-10-23
THE CONVENTION.
What Has Been Done During
the Week Since Re.as-
,sembling.
ColuMB1A, October, 81, 1895

and persistent work to finish with
the making of the Constitution be-
fore the time V the conveping of the
General Assembly, and it is the in
tention to finish before that time if
such be possible The convention is
now working about seven hours
daily and later on it may be decided
to9hold afternoot sessions.
The work of the past week. taken
in connection with, what has been
heretofore done and said goes very
far to show that the Convention has
avoided factionai lines and that the.
members are working as far as they.
know now for the common interest of
the people of the State Members
are speaking and voting apparently
without regard to factional or parti-
san lines, aud stranger would have
extreme difficulty in locating the
politics Of the various members either
through what they are saying or the
attitude taken 10 votes The mem
bers all seem to be gratified at this
liberal spirit, and from all indications
there has been a complete repudia.
ton of "bossism" if such thing has
ever existed Things for the past
two weeks of the session have gone
very much against what many ex.
pected. and the merits of questions
and debates seem to have theirin ing
at this time, and there is, further,
every indication that such a spirit
will continue.
The much talked of suffrage plan
has been made the special order for
Tuesday at noon, and Senator Till
man insists that he will call for the
consideration of the suffrage matter
at that time. There has been &C
much quiet talking about what is
likely to be done, and the whole
matter is SO complex and difficult
of acceptable settlement that there is
no telling what will be done 1t
would be unsafe to make any predic
tons Just at this time the plan as
reported by the committee has the
natural advantage of al! other propo.
sitions in that it has the support of
the committee and that it is the result
of the careful consideration Of the
many plans that were presented by
the committee and boiled down by
members of both factions The
strength of the element that will op-
pose any educational or property
qualification has not yet been tested
If that attack on the report fails and
the report in these features stands.
then It is likely that an effort will be
made to make the temporary arrange
ment for the: registration of the "il-
literates'' be of force for Just as short
time as possible. The colored mDm-
bers are loading their guns to the
hilt-mostly for outside consumption.
Some idea of the condition OF the
work of the Convention and the
chances for early adjournment may
be had from the following summary Of
articles that are to make up the Con
stitution
Completed articles: Executive.
Impeachment. Penal and Charitable
Institutions. Municipal Corporations
and Police Regulations, Amend
ments, and Miscellaneous matters.
Almost finished: Declaration of
Rights, Legislation, Finance and
Taxation.
Not considered : Judicial, Juris
prudence, Right of Suffrage, Educa-
ton, Militia, Eminent d. main, Cor.
porations
The big fight, the al-important
struggle Of the week was on the
homestead law 1t was All allround
contest, in which the factions divided
on the issue. The main point at issue
was the right of mor'gaging the
homestead Many Of the delegates
wished that the head of The family,
once getting in debt should first be
made to set aside the homestead be-
fore mortgaging his property The
majority of the Convention, however,
thought that if the head Of the fami
ly wished to mortgage and the wife
was willing to sign her dover. that
the party should not be made to go
to the courts to secure permission to
sell property. The section is now
understood to stand in the same
shape as the present law as con-
s,rued by the Supreme Court The
section, which has net yet been
finally agreed upon. stands as fol-
lows:
"Section 20 The General Assem-.
bly, shall enact such law as will ex-
empt from attachment and sale under
any mense or final process issued
from any court. to the head Of any