The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-11-19

| mechaninations and machinery. w
4 have only avowed our purpose to d
r certain things, but we cannot openl
' avow the purpose
We ask you not to stultify this body
: not to put it on record that we pro
} pose to perpetuate the conditions tina
, have existed in the past and we thinl
you ought to give us some considera
tion. You invite attack from Con
gress. from the Supreme Court of the
United States and from all the enemies
of South Carolina itud all tho enemies
of the South End all the friends of the
negroes. But here lis another con
sideration. We have been laboring sc
long under the incubus of negro domi.
nation that in our efforts here to rectify
our constitution and throw safeguards
around our suffrage and elections, we
have been oblivious 10 the fact that
we are making q constitution that is
unalterable and we would leave it to
the hands OF any party in South
Carolina that might In the future get
possession of the machinery to cheat
white men, our equals and our fellow
citizens. | believe it is almost inevi-
table, seeing that men are born diff
ferent, that they look at things through
different spectacles that we will have
divisions among the whites in this
State as there is everywhere else
where there are free men and that in
future we will have it, white man
| against white man, and the question
is are we going to put it in the power
of one set of white men to see that
: their votes are put in the proper boxes
and are counted. We are here TO-DAY
with 10000 odd on one side and $4,000
on the othor and nothing but the
patriotism of one side has kept it from
appealing to those corrupt votes and
overthrowing us. God forbid that we
should SO far divide as to bring on
this vote as u balance of power, but If
we should divide, we should not put
1T in the power of the party in office
to say eve have all the commissioners
and managers you may put your votes
in but we will count them" Don't
let US who are not in power forget that
the wheels of political fortune are
always turning; that politics are the
most uncertain ground that man can
walk on. see the changes in the North.
Only three years ago the Democratic
party swept the country with an over
whclming majority and now it is
covered with defeat and disgrace.
We Reformers should put this clause
here Tor our own protection, for the
day may come when our own vote may
be jeopardized if we do not provide for
Il representation on the board of super
visors and managers.
Mr.. w. d. Evans said he wiohed to
take the same position that he took
upon q previous occasion and he did it |
to be consistent. He is free from hypo-
crisy. 1t looks to him like this com
mittee should be consistent also. Why |
don't they say that the Governor shall |
appoint three discreet persons? Why |
don't they say the managers should be
divided between the two political |
parties in the last election
Mr.. Tillman said there was but one |
political party then.
Mr.. Evans continued What's the |
use of lodging this question? The |
white people are going to carry the |
election and what's the use Of throw
ing barriers in the way ? Why not |
leave it to the Legislature He had |
no fear about them doing right. He
hoped the convention would not go
back on their action because of news
paper criticism. Is it possible that
any man tanks anybody is the spokes-
man of this body? He hoped the |
amendment would be stricken out.
MIR. Floyd said he had intended not
to say word, but when hecsaw the
great leader of the Reform movement
with all his prestige behind him, when
| see him undertaking here at the
scarce of the press OF the NORTH intro
ducing anything that refers to politi
cal parties must stand on my feet to
protest against it. 1t is unheard of
that any constitution should recognize
any political party, but we are here to
give them all justice and right and
when we have done that we have &C
complished all we came here TO do. If
the vote OF the people day was taken
rs per cent. of them would be opposed
to that suffrage plan. He hoped that
members would rise above criticism of
press or party and recognize on Repub-
lican principles and do justice to all.
That is what we are here for and no
more.
Mr.. Bradham said he believed the
committee, right. We can afford to
give representation to the other party.
Shall we ALLOW thnm to register and
refuse to give the ropresention on the
board of managers? He believed we
could give them representation and
fair elections. He believed that the
white people would divide, but they
would demand fair elections. He
Wished they were so divided now that
II wOuld require IL close count to detor-
mine who had been elected to every
Oll!co III G.!S oliJc. ne "anIou JO sec
every reg istered voter como forward
anil cast his ballot without fear or
| trouble.
Mr.. BujSt said he was surprised to
| seu the after injected again. To
mention politica purity is unwise and
unheard of In any constitution.
MIR. HaynswOrth said we are about
to take step that will secure white
supremacy for years. We are about
To turn down a vote that hung like a
incubus about us. When that Is the
clse, why is it we can't pass this meas
ure? Don't let us neglect to do what
is right in the eyes of the civilized
world Let us not build around our
selves veritable Chinese wall OF pref
udice. We can't afford to do 1t. We
arc obliged to consider other peoples
opinion. II we don't do this we will
meet the condemnation of the civil
lied world.
Mr.. Moore asked whether there was
such q provision in the Mississippi
constitution? Several members at the
same time answered that there was
not.
Mr.. Haynsworth held that we can't
afford not to count votes cast in the
ballot box.
Mr.. Buist contended it was provided
that no ballot should be counted in
secret.
Mr.. Haynsworth asked why then
was it that anyone could object to this
amendment
Mr. McCalla said that Mr.. Hayns.