The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-10-09
THE SUFFRAGE PLAN.
REPORTED BY COMMITTEE TO THE
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.

Proposed Provisions.
COLUMBIA, October 2.-!5pecial The
long expected report of the committee
on suffrage was made to the Constitu-
tional Convention this afterno oon. Fol
lowing is the full text of the proposed
article:
Sec. /. All elections by the people
shall be by ballot.
Sec. 2. Every qualified elector shall
be eligible to any office To be voted for
unless disqualified by age. But no
person shall hold two offices of honor
or profit at the same time except oiii--
GERS in the militia and no.aries public.
Sec. 3. Every male citizen of the
United States, 2l years of age and up
wards, not laboring under the disabil
tiles named in this Constitution, and
possessing the qualifications required
by it, shall be legal elector.
Sec. t. The qualifications for sufi-
rage shall be as follows:
a. Residence in the State for two
years, in the county one year, in the
election district in which the elector
offers to vote four months, and the
payment of poll tax six months be-
| fore any election Provided, however,
that ministers of the gospel in charge
| of an organized church shall be enti-
tied to vote after six months resi-
| dence in the State, if otherwise quail
| fed
b. Registration which shall provide
for the enrolment OF every elector
once in 10 years.
c. The person applying for registra-
ton must be- able to read and write
any section Of the Constitution, or
must show that he owns and pays tax
es on.S300 worth OF property in this
State: Provided, That at the first reg
istration under this Constitution and
up to January 1, 1898, all male per-
sons of voting age who can read
clause in this Constitution or under
stand and explain it when read to
them by the registration officer shall
| be entitled to register and become elec-
tors. A separate record of all illlterate
/ persons thus registered, sworn to by
the registration officer, shall be filed,
one copy with the clerk of court and
one in the office of the secretary of
state, on or before January l, 1898,
and such person shall remain during
life qualified electors, unless disquall-
fed by the provisions OF Section 8 OF
/ this article. The certificate Of the
clerk of the court or secretary of state
shall be sufficient evidence to establish
the right OF said class of citizens to
registration and the franchise.
d. Any person who shall apply for
registration after January l, 1898, il
otherwise qualified may be registered: :
Provided, That he can both read and
write any section of this Constitution
or can show that he owns and has paid
taxes during the previous year on
property in this State assessed at $500
or more.
e. Managers Of election shall require
of every elector offering to vote at
any election, before allowing him to
vote, proof of the payment of all taxes,
including poll tax, assessed against
him for the previous year.
f. Registration certificates when lost
shall be renewed if the applicant is
qualified under TIE provisions of this
Constitution, if he has been registered
as provided in subsection &c.
| Sec. 5. ANY person denied registra-
ton shall have the right to appeal to
any and all courts of this State to de-
termine the question under the llmita-
tions imposed in this article. and the
general assembly shall provide by law
! for the correction of illegal or fraudu-
lent registration and the punishment
of the same
| Sec. 6. The following persons are
disqualified from being registered or
voting:
| First. Persons convicted of burgla-
ry, theft, arson, obtaining goods or
money under false pretenses, perjury,
forgery, robbery, bribery, ,adultry, en-
bezzlement, bigany, or crimes against
the election laws; Provided, That the
pardon Of the governor shall remove
such disqualification.
Second. Persons who are idots, in
sane, paupers supported at the public
expense, and persons confined IN any
public prison.
Sec. /. For the purposeIof voting no
person shall be deemed to have gained
or lost residence by reason of his
absence while employed in the service
of the United States, nor while en-
gagged in the navigation of the water
OF this State, or Of the United States,
or of the high seas. :,
| Sec. S. The general assembly shall
provide for the registration Of all quail
| flied electors, and shall prescribe the
manner of holding elections and of
ascertaining the results of the same:
Provided, That each of the two parties
casting the highest number of votes at
the preceding election shall have rep
resentation on the board of managers
at each precinct, and on the board of
county canvassers in each county.
Sec. 8, The several counties in the
State shall be divided into election dis
tricts, with one precinct in eacn OF the
same at which alone the voter regis
1 tered for that precinct can cast his
ballot: Provided, That voter may be
transferred from one election district
| to another.
| Sec. 10. The general assembly shall
provide by law for the holding of par
| ty primary elections and Furnishing
fraud at the same.
Sec. H. The registration books shall
close at least 80 days before an cleo
ton, after which transfers and regis
tration shall not be legal, except as to
persons coming of age in the interim.
| Sec. 12 Electors in municipal cleo
tons hallpossess allthe qualifications
herein prescribed.
Sec. i3. At any special election in
incorporated cities and towns Of this
State for the purpose of bonding the
same or for the raising revenue all
! resident owners of property in said