The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-10-17
THURSDAY, OCTOBER II, 1859.
THAT, OR '.SONhETIHHNGs BEET.
EEHS.s.

II AaM Vuh ~NSpNh
TEHe.''
When tho sub treasury agitation
was at it's helght tho advocates of
that proposition recognized the
fact that it might be improved up-
on and couched their demand thus
"Give us the sub treasury, or some
thing bettor." Many of those who
opposed the snb-trcasury admit
ted that there wore good features
about the plan and readily agreed
to support the "something bettcr,"
which unfortunately has not been
devised up to date. Tho Rogistor
fears that those who disfavor the
suffrage article prepared by tho
suffrage committee Of tho Consti-
tutlonal Convention will be slmil-
arly slow in contriving "snmo,hing
better" There may be somo sim
ple solution of this suffrage qucs.
ton, but the members of the Con-
stltutional Convention arc likely
to havo as much success in discov-
ering it as tho Spanish courticrs
had in standing an egg on end.
when Columbus invited them to
perform that foat. The suffrage
problom has proven Il great deal
knottier than many of our South
Carolina statesmen sized it up to|
be when they tackled it. Whom
they got through with it thcv will
breathe hugo sigh of relief.
While there IS not litllo wa~tc
rant for Senator Irbv's crp3",er T.
of the report of the su ulrESS (ooqlcism
mittcc. pubIishcd .jsc at r:."g" COM
ter, it is unroY him.n Coday's Regis
an import1 Ftunatcly deficient in
Irby is veE%fSS'nt ve%, rcspcct-scnator or
out dcrctri. successful in pointing
tees rGd Cts in tho suffrage comr,it-
the a ,,lan, but \" fails TO suggest
tE ~ o' needed "somcthing rttcr.'
N,lcss "somcthing hcucr' is sug-
gcstcd, the Convention, on the
principle that if you can't got
crumb you must be satisfied with
crust, will bo Obliged to adopt the
suffrage article reported by Scna-
WI Ill llttll - tollllllltl''E VI IL
cism is always casicr than con-
struction. Almost anybody can
criticisc tho architecture of build
ing, though few OF tho critics
would be able to plan its equal.
Senator lrby hiects to tho suffrage
committees scheme for registering
white men who can neither read
nor write and who do not own $500
worth of property, on the ground
that its operation will humiliate
them. He says: "Wc can pre-
serve white supremacy in South
Carolina without olthcr dislran-
chising or humilialing a single
white otcr.' How? BY vhat plan?
Unfortunately Senator lrby con-
tents himself with the baro as:,rr-
ton that what all true South
CNrolinlans desire can be done and
fails to give any plan for its &C.
complishment. If Senator Irby
will show tho Convention tho way
out of tho labyrinth and dovisc a
plan whereby white supremacy
can be preserved in South Carolina
"without either DISTINGUISHING or
humiliating single white votor,' -
he will perform a service for which
his fellow citizens will always hon
or him. There are somo features
about the suffrage committees TO-
port, which certainly appear harsh
toward poor and illitcrutc white
men, many Of whom are as true to
South Carolina and as good citi-
Zens as any mon in the State, but
how in the name of high heaven is
the Convention to accomplish its
mission without some such unfor-
tunately unavoidable harshncss?
Senator Irby's love of the plain
common people is genuine and
hearty and is deserving of high
praise. But he should not allow
that love to blind him to facts
which stand out as big as houses.
White supremacy cannot be pro-
vided for without disfranchise-
mont for certain causes. But the
mon who are responsible for the
calling OF the constitutional Con-
vention, chief among whom is
Senator Irby, pledged the white
voters of the State that not ono Of
them should lose his ballot because
of other ignorance or poverty.
The Register, almost the only pa
per in South Carolina which advo-
Gated the calling of the Convol-
ton, endorsed that pledge with a
promise that it would use all of it's
influence to secure it's fulfillment.
The report Of the suffrage commit
tee certainly provides for such men
and the only question is whether
or not the terms Of the provision
are unnecessarily harsh or hum,l-
iatlng. Apparently they are both,
put are they not 80 of necessity
The Register will champion any
other plan which will accomplish
IL.