The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-02-20

plhlican party
Wilson then moved that the COM
mittec on constitution take the matter
up and bring in a proper report. Hart
said that the committee on constitution
should have reported first, and SO on.
The committee on constitution then
submitted the following report:
Preamble and constitution Of the
ministers union.
Whereas. there are patent causes
which impel the ministers-the lead
ers of the race-to orglnlze themselves
with such an organization as Will bet,
ter protect us rs Il race along civil ana
political lines. and -,
Whereas. we, the ministers OF the
State of South Carolina. have met IN
convention. that we Iuight secure TO
ourselves and our children that price,
less legacy bequea1hed to us by Goo
and the united effort of common
country. be it
Resolved. therefore, that, to estaD-
lish Justice, insure domestic tranquil
itv, provide for the common defense,
promote the general walfare and Sc,
cure the blessings Of liberty to US and
our posterity, we do organize ourselves
into an organization known as the
Ministers Union of the State of South
Carolina from and by which
a State Executive committee shall be
appointed, not consisting of more than
five nor less 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 /. 1t shall be the duty of the
State executive comittee to appoint IN
each county a county executive
committee whose duty it shall be to
organize in every precinct IN the
county, and see that all of the mem
berS of each club are furnished with
registration certificates.
Sec. ?. 1t shall be the duty of the
State executive committee to canvass
or cause to be eanvassed every
county in the State, instructing the
voters how and for whom to vote.
Sec. 5. The executive committee
sl.all have full power to act IN the
shsence of this convention whenever
and wherever emergency demands.
Sec. 4. It shall be further the prov
ince Of the executive committee to levy
a tax, which SHALL be apportloned to
the various districts, sufficient to EN-.
plov legal talent to test the legality OF
acts by which the laws governing us
have been enacted that shall be enact
ed against the rights and privileges OF
franchises guaranteed, to us by the
Constitution of the United States.
Hart moved to adopt, when Middle.
ton rose and said that they should
strike the portion looking to organlza,,
ton. 1t was dangerous; they would
likely find that politicians would grab
I'D the organization and dmoney would
doubtless be used to destroy its use
fullness. He moved to strike out.
J. II. Johnson and \. P. Dunbar
submitted the following minority re-
port: -,
Whereas. there is to be a Constltu-
ional convention held for the purpose
to disfranchise the colored citizens OF
this State, depriving them Of the right
guaranteed to them by the Constitution,
and therefore be it
Resolved, That we, the ministers OF
the State of South Carolina, urge upon
our people to register to a man and be
ready to vote for any man or set OF
men who are opposed to such dlscrlm-
nation among its citizens Irrespective
of party orname.
Hart said it was wrong to ask the
people to organic when the men who
were to lead them refused to organize.
He went on at some length in an I'M
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 informed who to vote for, etc.
Middleton made a brief reply.
Then the Rev. j. G.. Tobin got the
floor and he made Rome howl" He
was surprised to see men stand there
and say don't organize" even while
the throats of our children yet unborn
are preparing to be cut. l, for one,
am here to shed my last drop OF
blood and have my body burned and
the ashes thrown to the winds before
I'll do it. (Groanas and Yes. Yes.
He was for fight all the way through;
We can leave this county, l 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 II
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.
Amotion was then put to lay the mi
noritv report on the table. A standing
vote was taken. the three old negro
preachers-Middleton and the Rlces-
sitting. Tho motion was carried by
vote of 81 to7
1t was then decided to adopt the
majority 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. Asimilar effort was made
| with another portion Of the preamble
but it was voted down.
Middleton said he was endeavorlne
tc avoid political parties buying them
Chappelle said that this was an IN
suit to the Christian ministers. we
came here to work with all the parties
which will work with us to save oul
lights from the wreck: applause
We don't come here to please any man
or set of men. We are here to keep 8
telegraphic wire running from the pre-
cinct to headquarters The politica!
leaders are looking down to ,96. We
don't want the State, and we are nCi
going to get it, Monesy,-intehigence
and sense have to run the government
We don't want to put ignorance back