The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-10-08
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
IcoNrlNuKD FROM FIRST pAeE.l

VI IL AAAeNA RASNAOON W - DShAh 4
stone. was adopted. That amend
ment inserted any :" instead of "one-
eighth or more" so that no inter
marriage Of white persons with one Of
any negro blood Is permitted.
Mr. tombstone spoke earnestly
against striking ont his amendment.
He wanted Anglo-Saxon pure rule and
Anglo-Saxon pure blood supreme in
this state. He was opposed to any in
termixture, whether there was l-16
or 1-32.
Mr.. Sligh-Would you force a man
of Lie or 1732 to go back and raise up
negroes [ should think it better to
raise up white families. Otherwise,
Vt ~seenfs'tQ me, it would be unjust.
Mr.. tombstone declared 1t would be
better by far to keep the man OF all
ages in the negro ranks than to
grelize the ice If you are going to
keep them separate, keep them sepa-
rate. If you are going to take down
the barrier, take it down. He spoke
dramatically of u mar with Is negro
blood in him, asking a white girl in
marriage, which her parents could not
then their horror upon finding their
first grandchild with dask skin and
kinky hair.
Mr.. Smalls was sorry he had been
the cause Of so much disturbance. But
he was more than ever anxious that
the section should pass as amended by
Senator Tillman. He wanted no in
termarriage in the State. He had
seen several such marriages here, and
id every instance the woman was one
who had beer cast out by her own
race. He had known many such mar
riages elsewhere and in but very few
inGt1nnnS upnra thai hnpnSf ,rn,,,i,r n,
that the women were not good or
honest, and that the negro was none
or any better. There was no danger
OF intermarriages in this State no
honest negro woman would become a
white mans wife, and vice versa. He
introduced the resolution in order to
give his people some protection to
help them in escaping an evil they had
been suffering under for a hundred
years. If he should go out upon the
streets this evening and insult u white
woman, in the morning his body would
be hanging as a sign on the avenue.
But if the same treatment was ac-
corded the whites for advances to the
negro the convention would have to
adjourn sine die without finishing its
work.
A member objected to personal allu-
sion5 by General Smalis. and the Beau.
fS = statesman replied that he was not
personal to the innocent.
Mr.. BNrkor agreed hat the matter
had nj prScc here, but it havipg been
brought lR. it should be acted upon.
He agreed With NJ ~J0hSstene in be-
llsving the in~termarriage of persons
when either contained any mixed
blood, should be prohibited. He would
be unworthy of the teaching OF his
childhood If he entertained any miser
able prejudice to the negro. But the
question here is the religion Of ace
If we are justified in adopting o meas
ure OF this sort, it can only be done
upon that principle. We cannot enter
into the question of fractional qualifica.
tion. We u only be justified in his
tory by our determination to maintair
an absolute division OF the two races
The moment we depart from that W.
are gone it will stand before the
world without justification. If lie
why not Is. if Is why not II? No
sir: not l-l6 or l-32 or one drop Other
than pure Anglo-SaXon blood. VIVA
other barriers can we erect against
the evasion of the ideas become pre-
valent at the North, that those wild
negro blood may be upon social equ
atty?
The motion to lay on the table ,
motion to rcconsideriMr. tombstone.
motion was then put and lost.
The amendment to section ~ offered
by Mr.. Il. r. Tillman were again pre-
sented.
Mr.. G.. ID. Tillman objected to the
amendment as being purely Legislative
tho matter was already provided
for.
Mr.. b. X. Tillman explained that the
SnI.tlun only nrnhihitnn nfnrr,n,rvip r.,
providing no punishment. He propos
Ell to provide a punishment.
Nh. 6. ID. Ultima held that the pro
posed amendment committed a blundel
of half the proposition submitted OF
this floor III attempting to make laws
that should be passed by the legisla
ture.
Mr.. B. Il. Tillman said the eyes o
the world are on the convention the,
could not AFFORD to pass this matte
over without recognizing their respon
sibilities.
Mr.. G.. d. Tillman contended that the
section in the committees report wa.
put there to provide against q time
when II political earthquake might put
those in power who favored intermar
riages.
Mr.. b. II. Tillman-Let's put a little
dynamite into it,.
MIR. Johnstonc-Oh. no more dyna,
mite.
MIR. Tillman--rhat amendment OF
yours striking OuG is negro blood con.
tains more dynamite than any othe,
thing offered here, and you will find il
out. 1t cuts OF people who have negro
blood, but who for n cause or another
had gotten into good society.
MIR. JOhnStOnc and Mr.. Barker main.
tgincd that this was not retroactive it
only effected what is to come.
MIR. Tilfman admitted that such
amendment. Vie said there were famil.
les living 10 thG State now, moving in
society, who rave negro blood in their
veins and you would cast q cloud over
them.
Miller: May you live long to tell
the truth "
Mr.. Barker pointed out that the sec.
tion referred only to the future.
Senator Ttilmdn said III we are
not Hharisees OF Pharisees or showing
the merost sham of morality, wesbould
adopt the amendments We, would
make II mistake, if in face OF taunSs
thai have been thrown at us, we should
dodge the issue, and to say you will
leave it to the Legislature you simply
dodge the issue"
MIR. Henderson said that he was sat
ishad hat the section would not be re-
troactive. There is now q law on the
matter.
MIR. tombstone said that he had voted
in the Legislature to make miscegena-
ton a crime and would vote for it
again, and he for one was not ACTING 81