The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-10-03

founccring and drifting. and nothing but
talk has been tie result. There IL no
nrito plan. TO intelligent action. There
arc few good men In the convention,
men OF ability. but they are In SUCH A
minority that their hands are tied. what
Tillman and fis associates would reaily
like 10 do :hey find veiy difficult TO a.
feet. They are not at heart al all op-
I oscd 10 negro suffrage. provided thcy
| ,.an ACt the coiorcd vote counted on thef
side. They want to enact some scheme
hy which their machine can dominate Tao
| erection law. and disfrancnise only sucn
| voters as oTTCsc them. How to effect
this Is a puzzle and that is what really
lies at the bottom Of the delay.
"Thc refcrmcrs. az they call thom-
selves. are in bad way. and II LOOKS
as though the end OF their regime was
\ near at hand. IL was inevitable tha'
] they would sooner or later quarrel among
themselves. Tillman can no longer pay
| the role OF boss. and Evans. whom ne
| put In the gubernatcrial chair IS weak
| creature that nobody reverences. TIDY was
| long ago worked for slaughter because
/ some others OF the reform crowd wanted
his Mace He Is aware Of the programme,
! and though he knows he can't prevent IL
| from being carried out. viii play for re-
venee and make II as hot as he can TOT
tie peoplc that are seeking his political
| destruction.
our own opinion Of Tillman has always
been al out upon a par with that express
ed here but we have sometimes feared
we were Influenced by prejudice But
here is competent testimony from one OF
The best judges in South Carolina. end
We are glad to have our view of this
demagocue sustained.
The South Carolina Convention was,
as every one knows. called TO adopt some
trick that would rid South Carolina or
the negro vote. Its scheme is now made
pubic. and it justifes all that Col. Has
kon says OF Tillman. who is understood
10 have framed 1t. II is most comph-
Gated tumble. and we are free TO say
that We cannot foresee how it Will work.
II we understand IT, It makes registra-
ton a prerequisite TO the right TO vote.
All persons who can understand clause
Of the Constitution when read TO them,
may register up to January !. 1898 but
after that time none can register unless
they can read and write a section Of the
Constitution. and own and pay taxes on
$500 worth of property. This seems TO De
the idea and purpose of the instrument. III
has all the vices Of the Mississippi Con-
stitution in making the State suggest 10
her citizens that trickery is statesman
ship. but it introduces a new idea for
the rule after January. 1898. Prior TO lS9S.
the voter may register upon showing that
he understands the Constitution when
read to him. under the operation of which
provision, the white people who can read,
and those illterate ones of them whom
Tilman is willing 10 have registered, VIII
be registered. and no illiterate negroes of
any consequence will be found able TO
understand it when read to them.
But after 1898. all persons applying for
registration must be able TO read and
write any section of the Constitution.
and they must also be worth $500, on
" hich they pay taxes This is something
new IN the suffrage line. 1t is introduce
ing both the educational and the property
qualification for voters.
We can well believe that Tillman Is as
void of reason and judgment as Col. Has
kell represents him to be to have induc-
ed South Cardinals Convention to adopt
such a suffrage article as this. South
Carolina has a large illiterate white pop
ulation, and there is not the slightest
probability that this illiteracy will de-
crease TO any marked extent by 1898. They
are also poor. and these people are Till
mans main supporters. That they Will
resent this provision aimed especially at
them, there can be no doubt. What the
man could have been thinking about to
put such a suffrage article into South
Carolina's Constitution we cannot mag
ine 1t is bound to react upon him.