The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-05-15

Alter every geuera1 eiectiou 'ue ie-
| ei~s.ration books shall be opened for re-
gistration of such persons as shall
thereafter become entitled to regiss er.
OF the first Monday 10 each month
until the first day Of July preceding a
| general election, when the same shall
be closed until such election shall haze
taken place." that section 81 provide:
ANY person coming Of age, and being
qualified at an %elecsor. may appear be-
fore the supervisor, Of registration on
any day on which the books are opened
as aforesaid aud take oath as to his age
and qualifications as hereinbefore provid-
ed, and if the supervisor find him quail.
lied he shall ecter his name upon the
registration book of the precinct where
in be resides" It is also alleged that
said registration laws provide that the
supervisors of registration in the sever
al counties shall issue to the voter. when
registered, a certificate Of registration.
aud that said voter shall present the
same at the POLLS to the managers of
election aud that no q shall be allow
ed to vote at any election. to be held 10
said State, unless bis certificate Of re.
gistration is exhibited when he offers to
vote; aud that it is required by said Law
that in case a voter shall remove from
one county to another in said State. or
from one precinct to another in the same
county, or from one residence to anoth-
er in the same precinct, that be shall
obtain e transfer and a renewal certi6-
eate;:and that should a voter lose bis
certificate he must obtain a renewal
thereof. upon furnishing evidence sat-
isfactory to the registrar of the county
wherein be resides that bis certificate
has been mislaid or lost, and that the
same has not been willfully or inten-
tioDally disposed of. The bill also al
leges that by the provisions and require
ments Of said enactment the voter fail
ing for any reason to comply with any
of the provisions Of the same is denied
the right Of suffrage, both 10 Federal
and State elections. Complainant
claims that the provisions of the said
euactments fixing the time for registra-
ton and the closing of the books for
that purpose on the first day of July
preceding every election. aud the
many requirements and conditions set
out in the various sections Of said regis
tratiou law we're intended, aud that
they in effect do abridge, impede and
destroy the suffrage Of the citizens,
both Of the State aud Of the United
States.
1t is also averred that on the 24th day
of December, 1894. an Act was passed
by the General Assembly Of South Car
olioa entitled "An act to provide for
calling a Constitutional Convention, to
provide the number aud qualifications
Of members of the convention, their
compensation, etc, and to provide for
the election of the same, and to define
and prescribe the qualifications of the
electors, and the manner of the election
and of declaring the result" That by
Section 4 Of said Act it is declared who
shall be eptisled to vote for delegates to
said Constitutional Convention. and
that in addition to the qualifications
prescribed for electors by the Constitu-
tion of the State of South Carolina is
provided a further one, viz, 'sthat the
%elector be duly registered as DOW re-
quired by law, or who having been en-
titled to register as a voter at the time
of the general registration of electors
in the State which took place in the
year 1882. or at any time subsequent
thereto, failed to register at such time.
or who has become a citizen of this
State, aud who shall register as here
matter provided in such cases."
The complainant says that he failed
to register at the registration made
after the general election in 1888, and
during the ten days in March, 1895,
provided for in the Act Of 1894, be-
cause although be made repeated and
persistent efforts to become registered
he found himself unable to comply
With the, unreasonable, unnecessary
and burdeosome rules. regulations aud
restrictions prescribed by said uncon.
stitutioual registration laws as condition.
precedent to his right to register, and
that be has never been allowed to vote
at any Federal or State election of the
State Of South Carolina; chat be is de-
sirous of voting for delegates to the
said Constitutional Convention, and
that the paper .riting %purporting to
be books Of registration now 10 the
hands of the defendant do not and will
not contain bis name as a registered
voter for the reason before stated; that
he and others like circumstanced With
him will not be permitted to vote at
cd onoo;al o1oot;on bu III