The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-11-02
SOUTH CAROLINA CONVENTION.
Important Political Secrets Developed by
Discussion.

was ike meetlnS OF an historical So
ciety. Nearly all the old records OF negro
government were threshed over. One
interesting feature was brought out in
the discussion of political aff fairs in 1876,
when the Democrats got possession of
the State.
1t WAS that prominent State officials
had entered into an agreement with
President Hayes not TO prosecute the dis.
honest Republican State officials, white
and black, on condition that South Car
olina's citizens imprisoned at albany
and elsewhere for violation of the Fed
eral election law should be psrdoned.
G.. d. Tillman was party to the agree
ment and he stated that it was faith
fully carried out by both parties.
After five days Of debate Senator Till
mans suffrage plan was ordered to it's
third reading tonight by vote of 60 TO
81. a great many mem bers were absent
on business or otherwise, but as they
were paired the result would not have
been changed. There were no sensa-
tional incidents, but nearly every mem
Der took occasion to explain his vote
before the ballot was taken. 1t has
been foregone conclusion for two days
that Tillman was going to win, for
every amendment to his plan was
promptly voted down.
article on suffrage, upon which all the
debate has been had. The other parts
of the article are unimportant and will
| cause no discussions:
Section THE qualifications for
suffrage shall be as follows: 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 six months
before any election OF any poll tax then
due and payable: Provided, however,
that ministers in charge OF any or
Ranized church and teachers of public
schools shall be entitled to vote after
| six months residence in the State, II
| otherwise qualified. Registration, which
| shall provide for the enrolment of
| every elector once in ten years, and also
an enrolment during each and every
year OF every eleotor not previously reg
| istered under the provisions of this ar
| ticle.
UP to January l, 1899, all male per-
sons OF voting age applying for registrs
ton, who can read a clause IN this con-
stitution or understand and explain it
when read to them by the registration
officer, shall be entitled to register and
become electors. A separate record of
all persons registered before January 1,
| 1895, sworn to by the registration officer
shall be filed, one copy with the clerk OF
| court and one in the office of the secre-
tary Of State, on or before February l,
1898, and such persons shall remain
during life qualified electors unless dis.
qualified by the other provisions OF this
article. The certificate of the clerk of
court or secretary of State shall be sufi.
cient evidence to establish the right of
said citizens TO any future registration
| q TO inD
herein imposed.
Any person who shall apply for regis-
tration after January /, 1898, if other.
wise qualified, may be registered, pro.
vided, that he can both read and write
any section OF this constitution, or can
show that he owns and has paid all
taxes collectible during the previous
year on property in this State assessed
$500 or more.
Managers Of election shall require of
every elector offering to vote at any
proof OF the paying OF all taxes, in
Guiding poll tax, assessed sgainst him
and collectible FOR the previous yeas.
The general assembly shall provide
for Issuing to each duly registered cleo
tor OF certificate of registration, and
shall provide for the renewal of such
certificate when lost. mutilated or de-
stroyed, II the applicant is still quail
fed elector under the provisions OF this
constitution, or II he has been registered
as provided in subsection G.
Section S. Any person denied regis.
tration shall have the right to appeal to
the court Of common pleas or eny Judge
thereof and thence to the supreme
court, to determine his right TO vote
under the limitations imposed in this
| article, and the general assembly aha II
provide By law for tho correction OF
illegal registration, voting and other
| crimes against the election laws.
What Is called the understand ing
clause is to be OF effect only until Jan
uary, 1898, in order to allow all who cam
not read and write or who own 5000
worth OF property to register. IL is
claimed that this clause is to b 3 SO ad..
ministered by managers as to register
all white men and as few negroes as
| possible. Tho friends of the measure
| say, however, that IL can be honestly en-
| forced and even then few negroes could
| PASS on account of their general igno-
rance, but thsta vast ajority of the H.
| literate white men have intelligence
enough to understand clause in the
constitution when read to them and will
be registered.
The negro members have all con-
tended that the clause would never be
honestly enforced and they expect but
few negroes will understand in tho
ton. The negro members had nothing
further to say Tonight, but voted
solidly against it. The thirtyseven
whites who voted against 1t did 80. as
they said, because OF the property and
educational qualifications, which thew