The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-02-19

70 Select OncerS as permanent chair
man and secretary OF the convention,
and had gone beyond Its powers In
making the second part of the report.
DIR. Brown, of Charleston, was then
made permanent chairman, and A. b.
Jones, of Spartanburg, permanent sec
retary. by the adoption of the first part
OF the report.
A. ID. White wanted the chairman to
explain to the convention that they
did not want to organize new party
over the head OF the "Grand old Re-
publican party"
Wilson then moved that the COM
mittee on constitution take the matter
up and bring In a proper report. Hart
said that the committee on cOnstitu-
tion should have reported first, and so
on.
TIE NEW ORGANIZATION.
The committee on constitution then
submitted the following report:
Preamble and constitution OF the
Minister'S Union.
Whereas, there are patent causes
which impel the ministers-the load
| ers OF the races organize themselves
into such an organization as will bet
ter protect US as u race along civil and
| political lines, and
Whereas, we, the ministers of the
SVoGO VI oOaUh SdIoliutt hdNO "oU LII
convention, that we might secure to
ourselves and our children that price
less legacy bequeated to us by God
and the united effort of common
country, be it
Resolved, therefore, that, to estab-
lish Justice, insure domestic tranquil
ity, provide for the common defense,
promote the general welfare and Sc
cure the blessings of liberty to us and
our prosterity, we do organize our
selves into an organization known as
the Minister'S Union of the State of
South Carolina, from and by which q
State executive committee shall be
appointed, not consisting OF more than
five nor loss than three in each Con-
gressional district, to work with and
through the county executive commit
tee, to organize in all the counties in
the State.
Section, Itshsaslll hall be the duty Of the
State executive committee to appoint
| in each county county executive com
| mittee whose duty it shall be to organize
in every precinct in the county, and
see that all of the members of each
| club are furnished with registration
certificates.
Sec. 2. 1t shall be the duty of the
| State executive committee to canvass
Ut CttISS Dc CuuNaSScu CfSEy CouuOS
| in tine State, instructing the voters
how and for whom to vote.
Sec. 3. The executive committee
shall have full power to act in the
absence of this convention whenever
and wherever emergency demands.
Sec. 4. 1t shall be further the pro-
vince of the executive committee to
levy tax, which shall be apportioned
to the various districts, sufficient to
employ legal talent to test the legality
Of acts by which the laws governing
us have been enacted and that shall
be enacted against the rights and
privileges of franchises guaranteed t9
us by the Constitution of the Unit
States.
Hart moved to adopt, when NJ Mibnid
ton rose aud said that they tou,u ns
strike out the portion lookiny, ~ tbnv o
ganiSation. 1t was dangers, Cn9y
would likely find that politiGs Gshs onnu moulu
grab up the organization Ihu das+ money nn
would doubtless be used ,,;,a uIs|[oy i's
usefulness. Ho moved SYM Ennbam oos, s,h
J. Ell. johnson and Ainor;tu . renort. S~
mitted tho following he a y Sonitit',' opitv.
+,ona1 whereas, nem there Id for the purpose
tlo5ai conVentlon colored citizens of
tD;a 20 o'seranchise rtst living them of the
Snrs oCa.e, @ uSd to them by the Con-
| .s w herefOre be it
ORae,, Raso,u,.d That we, the ministers of
+ha haS'tootr.ep9South Carolina, urge upon
omr Omr nS nSo.S to register to man and be
r roadu drJ0 vote for any man or set of
na, mo are opposed to such discrimi-
nt h among its citizens, irrespective
nncaarty or name.
Cart said it was wrong to ask the
lGople to organize when the men who
we're to lead thom refused to organize.
He went on at some length in an inn
passioned speech to say that organiZa-
tion could not be dispensed with. They
had to have men watching all the time,
otherwise the people could not be in
formed who to vote for, etc.
Middleton made brief rbply, and
then the Rev. j. G. Tobin got the floor
and he made Rome howl" He was
surprised to see men stand there aud
throats of our children yet unborn are
preparing to be cut. /, for one, am
here to shed my last drop of blood and
have my body burned. and the ashes
thown to the winds before I'll do it.
(Groans, and Eyes, yes.") He was for
a fight all the way through. We can
leave this country; | can, for haven't |
anything but my grip and coat, and it's |
almost worn out. He talked war from |
beginning to end and said IL there was |
any man there who was not aroused to |
his utmost he ought not to be there.
Middleton-Where is the money to |
do this coming from?
Tobin-Where you get your support |
from-the people.
The chairman said that it was time |
to stop talking and get to work.
A motion was then put to lay the |
minority report on the table. A stand
ing vote was taken, the three old negro |
STANDARDIZATION and the Rices--
sitting. The motion was carried by a
vote of "a to-
1t was then decided to adopt the ma
jority report by sections.
When the preamble was struck out
the men opposed to the organization
made an effort to strike out all refer
ence thereto. Only sixteen supported
this effort. A similar effort was made
with another portion Of the preamble,
but 1t was voted down.
Middleton said he was trying to avoid
political parties buying them.
Chappelle said that this was an insult
to the Christian ministers. We came
here TO w9rk with all tho parties which
will work with us to save our rights
from the wreck. (Applause.l We don't
come here to please any man or set of
men. We are here to keep d telegrap-
ic wire running from the precinct TO
headquarters. The political leaders
are looking down to '96. We don't
want the State, and we are not going
to get it. Money, intelligence and
sense have to run the government. We