The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-11-14
Constitutional Convention,
THE SUFFRAGE CLAUSE FINISHED.
THE CRIMINAL CLASSES AsE,
BARRED OUT
The Legislature Lott to Arrange
Election Details-WOmnn's Suffrage
Meets Another Defeat


Election Details-Woman' Suffrage
Meets Another Defeat.
When the constitutional convention
reassembled, the suffrage article was
once more taken up. The proviso re
quiring the appointment Of election
managers from both political parties
was stricken out, and another fight
over woman's suffrage proved unsuc.
cessful.
Section 5 was taken up, and afte,
several unimportant amendments was
adopted us follows: Any person de-
MED regi,tration shall have the rig hi
to appeal to the court of common
pleas, or any Judge thereof, and
thence to the Supreme Court to deter
mine his right to vote unde, the limi.
tations imposed in this article, and on
such appeal the hearing shall be de
novo, and the General Assembly shall
provide by law for such appeal and 70,
the correction of illegal and fruudu-
lent registration, voting ard all other
crimes against the election laws"
Section 4 related to tho Disqualified.
tion of voters, aud after the addition
OF several crimes to those enumerated
in the original section, 1t was passed
in this form: "The following persons
are disqualified from being registered
or voting:
First, persons convicted of burg
larry, arson, obtaining goods or money
under false pretenses, perjury. for.
amy, wife beuting, house breaking, re-
ceiving stolen goods, breach Of trust
with fraudulent intent, assault with
Intent to ravish, miscegcnation and
larcency, or crimes against the election
laws: Provided, that the pardon Of
the Governor shall remove such dis
qualification.
Second, persons who are idiOts, in.
sane, paupers supported at the public
expense, aud persons confined in any
public prison"
trouble at all as follows: "For the
purpose OF voting no person shall be
deemed to have gained or lost resi-
dence by leason Of his presence
while or ab-encc employed in the
service of the United States, nor
while engaged in the navigation
OF the waters Of this State, or oi
the United States, or Of the high seas
nor while student of any institution
Of learning.
Section relating to the registration
OF the voters and the manner OF hold
ing elections caused an interesting de.
bate.
Mr. Sheppard offered the following
addition For the first registration
to be provided for under this constitu-
tion, the registration books shall be
kept open for at least six consecutive
weeks and thereafter from time to
time, at least one week in each month
mp to the thirty days next preceding
the first election to bo held under this
constitution"
Mr. Sheppard said it would require
a great deal Of time to register and
this amendment provided for six con-
secutive weeks, and thereafter one
week in each month until the month
next preceding the general election.
He thought this time was needed and
was amply sufficient. The amend
ment was agreed to.
Mr.. Gage moved to strike out the
words provided, further, that this
section shall apply to all municipal
elections" He said that it was i'm
practicable to apply the section to
municipal elections.
Mr.. Bryan said that it was the idea
of the committee that under conditions
that will be brought about this provi-
sion was necessary. He thought it
we'll to keep it in. If there are not
two political parties, then the princi-
pie does not apply.
Senator Tillman said the best thing
to do was to put in q separate section
applying 70 municipalities. Mr..
Cages amendment was then adopted.
Mr.. w. ID. Evans moved to strike
out the entire first proviso of s, ctiOn 8,
which allowed the two political parties
representation on the boards of mana
gers and canvassors.
Mr.. Evans thought that it was best
to leave the whole matter of details to
the General Assembly.
Mr.. George JOhnstone said that II
the convention did not bring about
pure and honest elections it. we're bet
ter that 1t had not been hold, and
that if the convention did not do away
with the incompetent and vicious vote
1T had botter never have been held
and that honest elections were not
possible if this amendment was passed
Mr.. Evans said that it was not his
intention to leave any room for fraud.
Mr.. Johnstone said that he only
knew that tire gentleman from Mari
boro sought to strike out the only pro
vision that compelled them to be
honest and fair.
Mr.. Evans said that 80 far as he was
concerned sOmr Of the most unfair
elections he had ever seen had beel
concocted with representation on the
boerd OF managers from both parties
anu that he had no intention Of doins
anything TO help fraud.
Mr. Bryan said that tho committed
had carefully considered the section
Ihere 1s no principle in the bill NOR.
patent. If we want honest election
nothing would insure them bette
than this provision. The idea ia +,
place the principle who're it. can NO
be disregarded. Unless YOU fix til,
you put the whole matter within th'
possibility of political debaucherv.
On o call of tho roll the proviso wa
stricken out by vote Of 81 to IS u
follows:
Yeas-John Gary Evans, President
Alexander, Ashe, Atkinson, Austin
Barry, Barton, Breazeale, Buist, Car
ver, Cunningham, DeHay, Dennis, Doug
lass, Efrd, w. d. Evans, Field, Fitch
Floyd, Gary, Gooding, Gunter, Hamel
Harrison, Hay, Hemphill, VIM. Hen
derson, Houser, johnson, Ira Jones
Willie Jones, Keitt, Kennedy. McCalla
McCaslan, McMakin, McWhlte, Mat
thews, Moore, Morrison, Parler, Ros
borough. Rowand, Russell, Shulor